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GOOD MORNING.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
MORNING.GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON THIS MORNING, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 18TH.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2025, 10:30 AM 10:36 AM YOU MAY JOIN US BY TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE BY CALLING 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU MAY ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 2 4 3 5 3 0 6 1 6 8, AND THE PASSCODE OF OH 8 6 6 8 3.
WE ALSO INVITE, UH, ANYONE, UM, THAT'S INTERESTED TO JOIN WITH THE AMERICAN OF DISABILITIES ACT, AND YOU MAY DO SO BY CALLING 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE TO OUR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, AT THIS TIME, IF YOU'LL MUTE YOUR ALL MOBILE DEVICES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR INVOCATION, OUR PLEDGE, AND OUR ROLL CALL.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA ASK COUNCILMAN KINLAW TO LEAD US IN PRAYER, AND WE WILL THEN HAVE OUR PLEDGE AND OUR ROLL CALL.
ANY FATHER, ONCE AGAIN, WE HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR PRAYERS.
WHEN WE CONDUCT THIS BUSINESS, WE ASK YOU TO BLESS THE STAFF, THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY CONTINUE GIVING US GUIDANCE ON WHAT OUR JOB IS TO DO.
AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCILWOMEN OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE ASK ALL THESE BLESSINGS, YOUR SON JESUS' NAME, AMEN.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVIS WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU ESTABLISH A QUORUM, PLEASE? I'M TRYING.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM.
[II. WORKSHOP]
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.THIS IS OUR LAST WORKSHOP BEFORE ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
SO AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU, UM, YOU ALL HAVE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, IF YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, WE WILL, UM, GET TO THOSE.
SEE, COUNCILMAN KINLAW, YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON? NO.
I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS I TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME AND I GOT ANSWERS AND I SAID I WOULD CHECK BACK AND I WOULD COME BACK.
D FIRST ONE IS, IT'S GOING TO BE THE PERSONNEL, SO THAT'S 1 51 57.
IT'S GONNA BE IN GENERAL FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I'VE ALWAYS MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE PERSONAL SCHEDULE, AND MY CONCERN WAS ALWAYS THAT WE HAD POSITIONS THAT WE HAD RECLASSIFIED AND, UH, CHANGE THE, UH, RANGE FOR PAY.
AND, UH, IF THEY ELIMINATED A POSITION IN THAT DEPARTMENT, THEN WHEN WE SAY HOW MANY POSITION IS BEING ADDED IN THE BUDGET, THOSE POSITIONS ARE NOT INCLUDED.
AND I'VE SAID OVER AND OVER, THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS A NEW POSITION.
AND THE REASON I CONTINUOUSLY SAY THAT IS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH YOU ARE RECLASSIFYING A JOB, WHEN YOU START CHANGING THE RANGE OF THE PAY, THAT'S NOT IN OUR TABLE OR OUR APPROVED SCHEDULE.
OKAY? AND WHEN I ASKED THAT, UH, DR.
THIGPEN EXPLAIN TO ME HOW RECLASSIFICATION WORK, AND IT WAS IN THE CITY, UH, POLICY, PERSONNEL POLICY.
WELL, I READ THAT PERSONNEL POLICY, IT TALKS ABOUT RECLASSIFICATION JUST AS IT EXPLAINED
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IT, BUT IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT RANGE.IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS RANGE.
AND THE CITY MANAGER DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE RANGE AND PAY.
ONCE YOU GET TO THAT POINT, YOU HAVE TO NOW COME TO COUNCIL, AND I'M GONNA GIVE THIS TO COUNCIL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING THIS ELABORATE STUFF AND I'M READING, BUT IT DON'T ADD UP.
LET'S SAY FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE CITY MANAGER RECLASSIFY A POSITION TODAY AND GO THROUGH THE SAME THING WHERE THAT RANGE IS NOW A NEW RANGE.
HOW YOU PAY FOR THAT, YOU CAN'T PAY FOR IT.
THERE'S NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR IT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR THAT POSITION BECAUSE THAT POSITION IS NOT A FUNDED POSITION.
SO WHENEVER YOU ADD THESE RECLASSIFIED POSITIONS AND YOU CHANGE THAT, YOU NEED TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL BECAUSE NOW YOU TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND NOT THE REGULAR FUNDING.
AND THE REASON I MADE THESE COMMENTS, AND I MADE THEM FOR ABOUT THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND I'M TIRED, AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IT'S A MONEY, IT'S A MONEY DEAL.
IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE, UH, START PAYING PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE RANGE, OUTSIDE THE RANGE, THEN WE NEED TO GET APPROVAL.
IF THE PERSON IS NOT ON A SCHEDULE, YEAH, YOU ADD THE POSITION, BUT WHY YOU THINK YOU DON'T NEED TO COUNT THAT AS A NEW POSITION? YOU COME TO NEW POSITIONS, COUNSEL THE NEW POSITIONS, THE SAME PROCESS.
WHAT HE'S EXPLAINING TO ME ABOUT THE ONES THAT ARE NOT LISTED, THAT SAME PROCESS IS USED TO CREATE A NEW POSITION.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH A RANGE FOR PAY.
SO TO TELL ME WE COULD DO THIS, BUT BECAUSE WE DROP IN THE POSITION, THAT'S LIKE, IT DON'T EVEN MEET THE COMMON SENSE TEST.
ANYTIME YOU DO THAT, YOU SHOULD BE REPORTING NEW POSITIONS.
THE POSITIONS THAT I'M QUESTIONING RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR BUDGET, ALL THOSE POSITIONS THAT I'VE JUST DESCRIBED THAT WERE ADDED, EVERY ONE OF 'EM, THEY'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES THAT THEY GAVE US.
THIGPEN TO EXPLAIN TO THE COUNCIL AFTER I FINISH, NOW THAT I'VE EXPLAINED THAT, WHAT MAKES THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH THE NEW POSITION? WHY IS IT DIFFERENT? DR.
UH, COUNCILMAN DUC SAID, AND I DID HAVE AN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ON YESTERDAY, AND IN PARTICULAR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UH, PART OF THE POLICY 17 DASH 57 B, WHICH DEALS WITH RECLASSIFICATION.
THE POLICY STATES THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS THE FINAL DECISION MAKER FOR ALL RECLASSIFICATIONS THAT ARE UNDER HIS JURISDICTION.
AND CORRECTLY, RECLASSIFICATION IS A PROCESS BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION THAT EXISTS VERSUS THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE CHANGED.
IF THERE IS A CHANGE WARRANTED IN RANGE, IN STEP, THAT IS PART OF THAT PROCESS, IT IS NOT A SEPARATE PROCESS WHERE YOU'D CONSIDER JUST THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE COMPENSATION THAT GOES
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WITH THAT CHANGE.WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A NEW POSITION, THAT WOULD BE A POSITION THAT DOES NOT EXIST EXISTS.
THE ANALYSIS, UH, UH, ANALYTICAL PROCESS IS THE SAME.
YOU ARE ANALYZING THE FACTORS THAT MAKE UP THAT JOB TO DETERMINE WHAT RANGE WOULD GO WITH THAT POSITION IN THE, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEW POSITIONS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT POSITIONS WHICH DO NOT EXIST AT ALL NUMERICALLY, IF YOU WILL, THAT IF WE HAD 800 POSITIONS PRIOR AND WE ARE ADDING 15 POSITIONS, THEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 15 NEW POSITIONS TO THE BUDGET.
OKAY? UH, LET ME GO SPECIFIC COUNCIL MEMBERS.
LOOK AT PAGE 2 57 IN YOUR, UH, BUDGET.
YOU THERE? I GOTTA GO CHECK MY NOTES.
THE FIRST WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEYS FOR AN EXAMPLE.
OKAY? WE GOT, UH, THAT THE CLERK ELIMINATED MR. WHICH IS A 17.
AND WE ADDED THE SOFTWARE AND A RANGE 28, UH, ANALYSIS.
AND THEN THAT ONE, WE, THAT'S A NEW POSITION WE ADDED.
CORRECT? THAT WAS A RECLASSIFICATION.
THAT'S A RE THAT'S TAKING SOMEONE FROM AN ADMIN CLERK TWO TO, UH, TO THE NEW, TO THE, UH, RECLASSIFYING THEM TO A POSITION THAT'S IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
OKAY, WELL, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.
AND THIS ONE HERE WENT FROM A 17 RANGE TO A 28 RANGE.
WHY DIDN'T WE JUST NOT FUND THE CLERK AND SAY THIS IS A NEW POSITIONS? BECAUSE IF I GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE ADDED, THAT'S WHAT I KEEP SAYING.
IF I GO THROUGH ALL OF THE ADDED, YOU KNOW, IT IS MORE THAN WHAT WE SAYING WE GOT NEW POSITIONS.
AND THEN JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T CHANGE, JUST 'CAUSE WE DON'T CHANGE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE, YOU SAYING WE RECLASSIFYING.
BUT IN REALITY, UH, UH, IT AIN'T NO MINOR CHANGE.
IN SOME CASES IT IS A BIG CHANGE, YOU KNOW? AND I THINK THAT WE ARE USING THIS RECLASSIFICATION AS A BASIS TO START PUTTING IN POSITIONS WITH HIGHER RANGE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL AS OPPOSED TO COUNCIL BEING NOTIFIED.
BECAUSE WHAT WE LOOK AT IS ALSO FUNDING.
JUST 'CAUSE YOU ASK FOR IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO AGREE TO IT.
AND WHEN YOU COME TO US AND TELL US, WELL, THIS IS HOW THE POLICY IS, IT'S NOT SO MUCH WHAT THE POLICY IS BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, YOU ALL DON'T MAKE POLICY.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA USE A POLICY TO GO AROUND US, THEN WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THAT POLICY AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN'T GO AROUND US.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID WHAT'S WRONG WITH SAYING DISPOSITION? YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN TOO MANY TIMES WE ARE CHANGING POSITIONS AND INCREASE IN RANGE.
AND WHAT I SEE AROUND THE CITY, I SEE A LOT OF SUPERVISORS, BUT THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WORKING IS THE ONES WE ALWAYS ELIMINATING THEIR POSITIONS.
BUT THOSE, BUT THOSE PEOPLE THAT'S GONE UP TO THIS AND BECOMING A SUPERVISOR, THAT PERSON IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING.
WE JUST GOT SUPERVISORS ON TOP OF SUPERVISORS BECAUSE AN EMPLOYEE'S A GOOD EMPLOYEE.
WE HIRE AN EMPLOYEE, AND AN EMPLOYEE GETS TO A RANGE WHEN THEY NO LONGER COULD RECEIVE ANY MORE PAY.
SO WHAT WE GOING TO DO, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE GOING RECLASSIFY THAT WAY.
WE GOING TO GIVE YOU MORE, WE'LL ADD THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
I, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING FOR THIS BUDGET.
IT'S JUST THAT EVERY TIME I'VE MENTIONED THIS IS ON DEATH EARS.
AND WHETHER THIS COUNCIL AGREES, DON'T MATTER WHEN I LEAVE COUNCIL, THE NEXT BUDGET
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YOU DO, I'M GONNA BE OUT THERE IN THE AUDIT, I'M GONNA COME HERE AND QUESTION THE SAME THING TILL ONE DAY SOMEBODY GONNA REALIZE IT'S NO REASON TO NOT BE TRANSPARENT.JUST SAY, YOU'RE GONNA ADD THIS POSITION.
BECAUSE IF YOU JUST JUSTIFY TO US, WE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS COUNCIL REALLY REFUSE ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL ASKED THAT WE DIDN'T FIND REASONABLE.
BUT I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T LIKE WHEN WE START GOING AROUND AND I'M MAKING IT NORMAL.
SO WHATEVER COUNCIL DECIDE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT'S GOING AROUND THE SYSTEM THAT ALL THESE POSITIONS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NEW POSITION BECAUSE THEY WASN'T FUNDED LAST YEAR AND YOU WANT US TO FUND THEM THIS YEAR.
IF THEY WASN'T FUNDED LAST YEAR AND THEY WASN'T ON THE BOOK LAST YEAR, TO ME, THAT'S NEW.
COUNCIL MEMBER, FRANK, I DO WANT TO COMMENT.
I WANT TO, I WANT TO SAY VEHEMENTLY THAT, UM, I DON'T AGREE WITH THE POSITIONING STANCE THAT, UH, THAT THE COUNCILMAN IS TAKING.
UM, I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT AND IMPERATIVE THAT WE ALLOW STAFF TO DO THEIR JOB.
THE QUESTION WAS ASKED THAT WE WOULD, THAT THEY WOULD PRODUCE, UM, THE, THE, UM, THAT THEY WOULD PRODUCE, THE PAPERWORK THAT THEY WOULD PRODUCE, UH, THE PROCEDURE.
THEY'VE MET THAT BURDEN OF PROOF.
AND THEN TO SIT TODAY, I BELIEVE AND QUESTION THE VERACITY OF WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, THE TRUTHFULNESS AND THE INTEGRITY AND THE TRANSPARENCY WHEN IT'S BEEN PROVEN, WHEN IT'S BEEN SHOWN TO US, UH, DOES NOT MOVE US TOWARD THE MISSION OF DOING WHAT IS BEST, I BELIEVE, FOR OUR CITIZENS.
UH, AND SO, UH, THEY HAVE MET THE BURDEN OF PROOF THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE COUNCILMAN.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE SAY PUBLICLY THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE.
UH, MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR MOSES, UH, SAID IT ON YESTERDAY AS SHE WAS TALKING, AND BROUGHT TO BEAR HER YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN, UH, IN, IN, IN PERSONNEL AND WAS EVEN TRYING TO SHARE WITH US THAT IT HAD BEEN DONE AND THAT THAT WAS THE WAY THAT IT HAD BEEN DONE OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO DO, UM, THAT WE DO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND THAT WE DO SHOW INDIVI, UH, OUR CITIZENS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO, UH, THAT THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
BUT I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT WHEN WE ARE, WHEN WE HAVE STAFF, UH, WHO, UH, IS CAPABLE.
WE GOT THE QUESTION I BELIEVE IN.
UM, I BELIEVE IN TRUST, BUT VERIFY I BELIEVE IN THAT.
I BELIEVE PEOPLE DO WHAT YOU, UH, INSPECT.
BUT THEN WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL AS WELL, COUNSEL THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING OUT, UM, THIS KIND OF QUESTIONING OF OUR STAFF TO THE DEGREE THAT IT CAUSES, UH, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, UH, TO WANE.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US.
I THINK THAT, UM, THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE GO FORWARD AS WELL.
OH, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS CITY ATTORNEY CHANGING THE CLASSIFICATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND FUNDING IT THROUGH A LINE ITEM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT WHAT, WHAT'S BEING DONE HERE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THOSE THINGS.
I'M FILLING IN FOR MY BOSS ATTORNEY COUNTRY.
I'M CURRENTLY AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT, BUT, UH, DRAWING ON MY EXPERIENCE, I SEE A, WELL, I WILL KEEP MY THOUGHTS TO MYSELF.
YOU WILL HAVE TO ASK, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY WHEN SHE RETURNS.
THIGPEN, ARE YOU SAYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK TWO, RIGHT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, ADOPTED IN 2024 AND TURNED INTO A RECLASS WITH A LEGAL SOFTWARE INTEGRATION ANALYST? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? MM-HMM
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WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I HAVE SOME, UH, GRAY AREAS IN THAT AS WELL.AND THE ORIGINAL POSITION WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK.
TWO, THE CHANGE IN THE DUTIES ONCE REVIEWED, UH, CAUSED THE RANGE TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE THE DUTIES OF A HIGHER LEVEL AND HIGHER COMPLEXITY WERE DONE.
AND WE SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A RECLASSIFICATION, THERE'S NO RETARY IMPACT BECAUSE THE DUTIES ARE EQUIVALENT.
SO THERE MAY BE A CHANGE THAT DOES THAT AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A, A SPECTRUM OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU DO A RECLASSIFICATION, BUT YOU, YOU DO AGREE THAT GOING FROM A RANGE 17 TO 28, THAT'S A LARGE INCREASE.
UM, WOULD, WOULD YOU AGREE TO THAT? AND THEN THE SECOND FOLD OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING A LEGAL SOFTWARE INTEGRATION ANALYST THAT TAKES SOME TYPE OF CERTIFICATION, WOULDN'T IT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO IN-HOUSE AND GIVE SOMEONE THAT TITLE AND CHANGE THAT RANGE BASED UPON THE CLASSES OR THE CERTIFICATIONS THAT YOU, YOU GIVE THAT PERSON? BECAUSE I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S A LARGE RANGE CHANGE.
YOU'RE TAKING A CLERK AND MAKING THAT PERSONAL LEGAL SOFTWARE, UH, ANALYST, WHICH IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT JOB FROM A CLERK CLERK.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE CAN DO THAT IN THE DEPARTMENT, OR THE DEPARTMENT CAN DO THAT IN-HOUSE AND SAY, WELL, WE CAN GIVE THAT PERSON THAT TYPE OF TITLE AND RANGE CHANGE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, LET ME SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
LET ME SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU.
THE RANGE AND CHANGE THAT IS BEING REQUESTED IS COMING FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY AFTER SHE HAVE ASSESSED HER STAFF AND LOOK AT WHERE SHE WANTS TO BRING THE DEPARTMENT AND THE SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE LEVEL THAT SHE NEEDS IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
SHE WAS ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER AS TO WHAT SHE'S LOOKING FOR IN ORDER TO GET THAT.
SO I'M TRYING TO WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAS THE SKILLSET AND THE KNOWLEDGE SET THAT SHE NEEDS TO TAKE THE DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE, SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, WE HAVE TAKEN THIS AND SENT IT OUT TO THE WAGE AND COMPENSATION PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THE STUDY RIGHT? TO LOOK AND SEE WHERE THOSE EXIST IN OTHER SPHERES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SO THAT THE CITY OF PORT AFA CAN GET TO THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE AND NOT OPERATE IN 1842.
CAN I, CAN I CAN COUNCIL
I WAS ADMIN CLERK TWO IN 1988 AND, UM, WORKED, UM, AS AN ADMIN CLERK TWO, UM, HARVEY ROBINSON, UH, TOOK THREE OF US, UH, TWO OF US, AFTER BEING THERE ALMOST FIVE YEARS AND DOING THE WORK, HE NO LONGER NEEDED AN ADMIN TWO, HE RECLASSIFIED US TO ARRANGE 28 MM-HMM
I JUST, JUST CAME TO ME SITTING HERE.
SO I WAS RECLASSIFIED TO A HUMAN RESOURCE ANALYST IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, DUTIES WERE AGAIN, GIVEN TO ME WITH HIRING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THINGS WERE ADDED FROM A CLERK THAT JUSTIFIED THE MOVEMENT THAT I WOULD NOW BE A HUMAN RESOURCE ANALYST.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN KINLAW, HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL.
THE MONEY WAS IN HIS BUDGET TO RECLASSIFY ME AND TWO OTHER, UH, PEOPLE IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
I WAS ARRAIGNED 17 THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO.
I'M JUST, THE HOLY SPIRIT JUST GAVE IT TO ME.
I WAS LIKE, THANK YOU, LORD, HAVE MERCY.
SO I WAS RECLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE PERSONNEL POLICY, TO AN HR ANALYST.
AND, UH, AFTER HIM SUBMITTING IT TO THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, UM, I WAS, UH, THREE OF US WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WERE RECLASSIFIED.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND BE APPROVED.
UM, HE JUST WENT, UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT HE HAD, THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT ACCORDING TO THE PERSONNEL POLICY IS WRITTEN IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THAT SECTION OF THE PERSON I REVIEWED THE PERSONNEL POLICY THAT, UH, WAS SENT TO US AS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL BY MAYOR PRO TEM DESCENT.
AND, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S BEEN DONE.
IT'S, UH, WHETHER YOU CALL IT PRACTICE OR WHETHER YOU CALL IT, IT IS POLICY PRACTICE BASED WITH BACKED WITH, WITH, UH, WITH IT IS PRACTICE BASED WITH POLICY.
AND SO YOU HAVE, THAT HAPPENS.
I WAS A PRODUCT OF THAT AND I WAS THANKFUL FOR THAT RANGE 28 TO BE ABLE TO GO UP AND IN MY SKILLS AND MY DUTIES CHANGED.
OKAY? SO I HAD MORE RESPONSIBILITY NOW FOR DIRECT HIRING, AND THEN I HAD MORE RESPONSE RESPONSIBILITY THAN AN ADMIN CLERK, WHICH IS JUST DOING REPETITIVE, YOU KNOW, TYPING AND THAT KIND OF A THING.
SO NOW MY SKILL LEVEL MOVED UP.
THERE WAS NO OTHER LICENSE REQUIRED OF ME, UH, OTHER THAN THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE THAT THE JOB NOW
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WRITTEN AND SHOWED IN WRITING WHAT MY DUTIES WERE GONNA BE CHANGED TO AND WHAT MORE RESPONSIBILITY I WOULD TAKE ON TO JUSTIFY THAT CHANGE IN THAT RANGE.UM, AND, AND SO I AM A PRODUCT OF THAT AND COUNSEL, IF I MAY, RECLASSIFICATION IS NOT AN ACT, IT IS A PROCESS BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS TO SUBMIT JUSTIFICATION SUPPORTING THAT TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
HUMAN RESOURCES REVIEWS THAT INFORMATION AND WILL RENDER AN OPINION ALONG WITH THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
THE CITY MANAGER WILL THEN REVIEW THOSE DOCUMENTS AND MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER OR NOT THE RECLASSIFICATION WILL TAKE PLACE.
SO IS THAT, IS THAT CONSIDERED YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION CHANGE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, RECLASSING SOMEONE, BUT MY ONLY QUESTION IS WE'VE NEVER HAD IT THE YEAR BEFORE.
AND THEN WERE RECLASSING SOMEONE AND THE JOB DESCRIPTION CHANGES, AND MARY WAS, YOU KNOW, EXCEPTIONAL.
UH, I REMEMBER WHEN SHE WAS WORKING IN HR, EXCELLENT JOB.
UH, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST ABOUT JOB DESCRIPTION CHANGES AND ALL THAT RECLASS, BUT IF YOU HADN'T HAD IT YEAR PRIOR, AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT THIS YEAR, WHEN DOES IT BECOME A NEW JOB? I MEAN, WHO DETERMINES MM-HMM
OBVIOUSLY THE MAYOR, BUT WHO DETERMINES IT'S, UH, I'M, EXCUSE ME, THE CITY MANAGER MANAGER.
SO, BUT WHO DETERMINES IT'S A NEW JOB IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT A YEAR PRIOR, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET YOU ASKING FOR IT THIS YEAR.
AND IT WAS, IT WASN'T BUDGETED PRE THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO WHO, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S A NEW JOB OR DESCRIBED AS A NEW JOB, WHICH YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION WOULD TELL YOU THAT 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT THE YEAR BEFORE.
A NEW JOB IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE EVIDENTLY DEFINED IT, AND EVEN IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT DID NOT EXIST.
FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE TALKING THIS YEAR ABOUT HAVING A MARKETING AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, WHICH IS A NEW POSITION.
IT HAS NOT EXISTED IN THIS CASE.
WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH THE RECLASSIFICATION, THE BASE DUTIES OF THAT POSITION STILL REMAIN WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
BUT YOU ARE NOW PROVIDING THAT INDIVIDUAL OR REQUIRING THAT INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CHANGE WOULD COME ABOUT.
I WISH WE COULD GO BACK TO MY, MY PERSONNEL FILE AND LOOK UP A, WHO SIGNED OFF ON THAT 1990.
UM, YEAH, I KNOW IT'S SO FAR BACK.
BUT BASICALLY HOW THAT RECLASSIFICATION, 'CAUSE THAT WAS HR ANALYST WAS A NEW TITLE.
IT DIDN'T, IT DID NOT EXIST
WHEN AN EMPLOYEE OR A DEPARTMENT HERE SEEKS A CHANGE IN A POSITION, THEY COMPLETE THAT FORM.
THAT FORM SAYS THESE ARE THE CHANGES FROM WHAT THE EXISTING JOB DESCRIPTION ARE THAT IS ANALYZED ACCORDING TO A PARTICULAR FORMULA AND A DETERMINATION'S MADE, WHETHER OR NOT A CHANGE IS WARRANTED.
BECAUSE SIMPLY ADDING DUTIES DOES NOT ALWAYS REQUIRE A CHANGE IN RANGE AND STEP.
WELL, I AGREE WITH RON BURTON.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE DO CHANGE, AS IN SOME, IN SOME CASES, I THINK THAT IF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD SUBMITS SOME TYPE OF JOB DESCRIPTION AND WANTS TO CHANGE, BUT OUR JOB, YOU MAY REFERENCE IF IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
IT NEVER HAPPENED WITH, UNTIL AT ALL, UH, BASED UPON THAT LEGAL SOFTWARE ANALYST NEVER HAPPENED ALL ZEROS.
SO THAT LETS ME KNOW IT'S A NEW POSITION.
ALRIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, TO COUNTER THAT.
BUT IF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD SUGGESTS OR ASK TO CITY MANAGER, THAT'S WHAT I WANT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M IN A POSITION TO SAY THAT YOU DON'T NEED IT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO TRACK, YOU KNOW, I HAVE QUESTIONS.
I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE GONNA GET INTO THAT NEW MILLENNIUM THAT THE CITY MANAGER TALKED ABOUT FROM 1842.
YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE GONNA DO? HOW ARE WE GONNA UTILIZE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION? SO THAT PROBABLY WOULD'VE HELPED ME.
BUT THE SECOND FOLD, UH, DOC, I ASKED FOR AN INSERT ON PAGE 2 59 FOR THE FIRE WITH THE NEW, AND YOU GUYS WERE GONNA PROVIDE THAT TO COUNSEL TODAY.
YOU SAID 2 59? YEAH, GO TO AYA.
SO THAT NUMBER CHANGED FROM ONE 11 TO ONE 18.
SO THAT'S ADDITIONAL SEVEN POSITIONS THAT WE ARE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR ON THIS, ON THIS MATRIX.
SO WE NEED TO GET THOSE INSERTS.
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA PROVIDE IT TO COUNCIL TODAY.
THE CORRECTIONS WERE MADE AND, UM, WE DID LOOK AT IT YESTERDAY AND THE CORRECTIONS WERE MADE BECAUSE WE NEED THAT.
AND WE PROMISE THAT WE WILL HAVE THE FINAL DOCUMENT BEFORE THE APPROVAL OF COME, BEFORE THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.
THE PERSONAL SCHEDULE WILL BE UP TO DATE BEFORE THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET ON TUESDAY.
ALL THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS WILL BE MADE.
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LOOK AT, SEE, AND THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING NOW.BUT WE NEEDED YOU DISTRIBUTED ONE POWER.
2 59, I MEAN, UH, YEAH, 2 59 WITH THE NEW NUMBERS.
'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA CHANGE THE TOTAL.
SO IF WE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR IT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ALSO GONNA CHANGE THE BUDGET AMOUNT.
YOU WANNA PRINT, IT'S DONE ALREADY.
AND THAT'S JUST WITH FIRE ALONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HAD ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT CHANGES, BUT HELP ME OUT, PAM.
UM, TODAY COUNCIL WAS PROVIDED WITH A SUMMARY REPORT OF THE POSITIONS.
UM, IT WAS PASSED OUT TO ALL OF COUNCIL RIGHT BEFORE THE START OF THE MEETING.
UM, THE SUMMARY REPORT PROVIDES A BREAKDOWN BASED ON DEPARTMENTS OF POSITIONS THAT ARE EITHER NEW POSITIONS, RECLASSIFICATIONS, OR EVEN TITLE CHANGES, UM, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT CHANGE HAS BEEN NOTED IN THE PERSONNEL SCHEDULE.
AND AS THE CITY MANAGER INDICATED, WE WILL PROVIDE THIS TO COUNCIL BEFORE THE MEETING ON THE 23RD TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CAPTURING ALL OF THOSE CHANGES IN ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
OKAY? SO WE JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE FINAL DOCUMENT THAT YOU RECEIVE IS IN FACT ACCURATE.
EVERYBODY SPOKE, AND I GUESS YOU ALL HEARD ME, BUT THIS IS A BUDGET.
AND NO MATTER HOW YOU SKIN THIS CAT, I, I MENTIONED IT EARLIER.
YOU SEE, YOU'RE NOT THIS, I'M NOT QUESTIONING THEM RECLASSIFYING THE JOB.
WHAT I'M QUESTIONING IS HOW WE APPROPRIATE MONEY.
AND WHAT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY TALK ABOUT WHO SPOKE ABOUT WHAT? I SAID, ANYTIME YOU DO RECLASSIFY, DO ANYTHING, YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL.
IF THE POSITION IS NOT FUNDED WHEN THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED, YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL.
THAT'S WHY I SAID WHEN THIS, THESE POSITIONS LIKE THIS COME UP, THEY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
YOUR JOB DURING A BUDGET SAYS THAT ANY CHANGES SIGNIFICANT, YOU REPORT TO US WHEN YOU COULD BRING US THE PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET.
NOW, IF THAT IS DONE, WE UNDERSTAND IT.
I NEVER QUESTIONED CHANGING POSITION.
I KEPT SAYING, AND I REFERRED TO RANGE WHEN I FIRST SPOKE, I SAID, MONEY, THIS IS ABOUT BUDGET.
THIS IS HOW WE APPROPRIATE MONEY.
AND WHEN I SAY THINGS, EVERYBODY WANNA GO AROUND IN CIRCLES.
BUT EVEN IF YOU DO THIS RECLASSIFICATION, LIKE MAYOR MOSES SAID WHEN HE DID THAT, THE MONEY WAS NOT IN HIS BUDGET.
IT WAS, I SAID IT WAS IN HIS BUDGET.
WHAT WAS THAT? A BUDGET BEING PRESENTED LIKE.
NOW, MAYOR, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I'M SURE HE CAN, HE HAD THE DOLLARS IN HIS BUDGET.
I THINK ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, I MEAN ANY DEPARTMENT HEAD THAT HAS ALLOCATED DOLLARS AND THEIR BUDGET, WELL THEY CAN UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS AS LONG AS THEY'RE WITHIN THE RA AND, AND WITHIN THE, THE, UH, RAMIFICATIONS OR THE WHAT'S ALLOCATED TO THAT DEPARTMENT, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT OUTSIDE OF THAT BUDGET, THEY CAN UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS TO RECLASSIFY THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
NO, MAYOR, MAYOR, THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL MAYOR WHEN WE APPROVE THIS BUDGET.
IF A DEPARTMENT HAD NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE GONNA APPROVE HR BUDGET BASED ON THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN HERE AND THE RANGE THAT THEY FIGURED THAT PAY IS GOING TO BE.
MAYOR, IF YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, THAT'S WHAT WE APPROVE.
BUT I'M, I I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND MAYOR PROTON.
SO, BUT BASICALLY I'M TELLING YOU THAT IF THAT IF HE HAD MONEY AND EXTRA HELP AND HE WANTED TO UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS AND MOVE THEM AROUND WITHIN HIS DEPARTMENT, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD TO PAY FOR THAT JOB.
I MEAN, IT'S AT THAT'S, WELL THAT'S WHAT IT WAS WHEN I GOT IT.
WAIT, WAIT, SEE, I DON'T KNOW.
WAIT, SEE THAT? NO ARGUE WITH YOU.
BUT ANYWAY, WELL, WE CAN MOVE ON.
DON'T DON'T, I MEAN, Y'ALL SPEAK, I'M, LET ME SPEAK Y'ALL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR HERE AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE
[00:35:01]
WITH, WITH, WITH MONIES IN THIS CITY.OKAY? WHEN WE APPROPRIATE MONEY, THE MONEY'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED SPECIFICALLY FOR WHAT WE APPROVE IT FOR.
OKAY? WHEN WE APPROVE MONEY FOR POSITIONS, IT'S BASED ON A, WHATEVER THEY SAY THAT RANGE THAT PERSON GOING TO BE, WHETHER THEY HAVE A, A, A INCREASE IN PAY OR WHATEVER.
WELL, HE GOT IT WITHIN HIS BUDGET.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE NOW.
EVERYBODY START MOVING MONEY, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU KNOW, NO, WE SHOULD REVIEW ALL THESE THINGS.
THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE POSITION FROM THAT TO WHAT IT IS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT ONE, ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN ALONG WITH THE NEW POSITION, WHEREBY THEY SAID TO US THAT THESE ARE POSITION THAT WE'RE GONNA RECLASSIFY AND YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE ARE CHANGING.
UH, WE ELIMINATING THIS ONE, BUT WE ADDING THIS ONE AND IT'S THIS RANGE.
THAT'S ALL I MAKE TRANSPARENCY AND STUFF.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GET TO SAYING DON'T, NO, I DON'T QUESTION NOBODY, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO RUBBER STAMP NOTHING.
OKAY? SO I THINK WE ALL DO COUNCIL, UM, UH, MAYOR TEMP JUST SAID, WE ALL READ AND WE DO UNDERSTAND.
UM, I THINK IF YOU'RE, YOU CAN CONSENT, MOVE FORWARD AND PRESENT, UH, NO, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BE DOING A PRESENTATION.
BUT THE FACT IS EVERYBODY WANT TO SAY WHAT I'M SAYING AND, AND YOU, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M REALLY ADDRESSING AND STUFF.
AND THAT'S WHAT KIND OF UPSET ME, YOU KNOW? SO YES SIR.
UH, BUT WE ALL SAY WHAT WE NEED TO SAY AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO EVERYBODY ELSE'S.
SO, ALRIGHT, THE NEXT, NEXT WE LISTEN YOU, THE NEXT UH, QUESTION I HAD WAS DEALING WITH, UH, THE, THE $1 MILLION FOR FIRE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, YOU HAD YOUR LIGHT ON.
I'M SORRY, DID YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING? I DIDN'T MEAN, LOOK OVER BRIEFLY.
WHATEVER THE CITY MANAGER DOES OR STAFF BRINGING TO COUNCIL IS ALWAYS A POSITION.
IF IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE BUDGET, THEN IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
BUT IF YOU GOT THE, IF IT HASN'T BEEN FUNDED BEFORE IT, THE IMPACT HAS TO, IT CHANGES SOMETHING, NOW WE HAVE TO PROVIDE FUNDING.
SO I'M HEARING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, FRANK, I'M SORRY.
ARE YOU DONE? OKAY, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
BUT I'M HEARING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE'RE SAYING TWO DIFFERENT, WE'RE SAYING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'M HEARING ONE INDIVIDUAL SAY THAT THE MONEY IS ALREADY IN THE BUDGET AND THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS THAT THE CHANGE IS HAPPENING INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT AND THE MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN PLACED INSIDE THE BUDGET.
THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR JUST SAID.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING.
NOW WE'RE COMING AND WE'RE SAYING THAT IF THEY MAKE THAT CHANGE, IT'S IMPACTING THE BUDGET.
HOW IS IT IMPACTING THE BUDGET WHEN THE MONEY IS ALREADY THERE AND THE MONEY'S ALREADY IN THE DEPARTMENT, IT'S JUST BEING ALLOCATED IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO ARE YOU KILLING THE OTHER LINE ITEM? YEAH, EXACTLY.
AND NOW YOU MOVE THAT LINE ITEM TO THE, THE NEW CLASSIFICATION TO NEW AND USE SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS.
SO YOU DON'T NEED A WHOLE ENTIRE JOB TO BE FUNDED.
YOU'RE ONLY USING A PORTION THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN ME UP MAYBE TO RANGE 28, STEP NUMBER FIVE, UH, TO, TO THO.
SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT IMPACTING THAT MUCH OF A CHANGE IN DOLLARS.
SO IF I'M, I WAS A RANGE 17, I HEAR THAT.
AND THEN WHEN I GOT TO 28, IT MAY HAVE THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAGE SCALE, SEE THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU SAY SOMETHING ELSE, YOU SAID IT, IT, IT, IT DID NOT PACKET THAT IMPACT PACKET THAT MUCH.
IT'S STILL AN IMPACT, BUT IT'S IN THAT WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF WHAT HE'S ALREADY GOTTEN APPROVED, HE'S NOT GOING FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
WELL, IT'S, THEY'RE 'EM FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR EXTRA MONEY.
THEY'RE NOT, YES, THERE'S NOT, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN.
THE LINE ITEM, IF YOU CAN FULLY FUND IT WITH THE LINE ITEM IS A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
AND THE JOB GO UP, THE OLD JOB GOES AWAY AND, AND THE NEW CLASSIFICATION, UH, HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
BUT IF, IF THERE'S NOT, NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT CLASSIFICATION, WHERE YOU GOING TO GET IT FROM? AND THAT AND THAT HE HAS TO FIND IT.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO FIND THAT MONEY WITHIN THEIR MO MOBILITY TO MOVE WITHIN THEIR ALREADY APPROVED BUDGET.
IT CAN GO BACK IN AND KILL SOMETHING.
KILL SOMETHING, KILL A LINE ITEM AND MOVE THAT LINE ITEM.
AND YOU'RE USING THE DIFFERENCE.
[00:40:01]
YOU ONLY GETTING, YOU ONLY YOU, YOU'RE MOVING, YOU'RE IN WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE.I'M HEARING THAT'S YOU'RE MOVING THERE.
YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CLASSIFICATIONS.
AND IF THE MONEY IS NOT THERE, NOT THAT, IF THE MONEY'S NOT THERE, THEN HE HAS TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
IF IT'S NOT THERE, REMEMBER THAT IT, IT'S IN THE LINE ITEM OF PERSONAL.
IT'S ALWAYS AN ESTIMATE THAT'S BEING DONE.
I KNOW IN, IN, IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR ALL THE APPROVED POSITIONS, YOU MAY HAVE SOMEBODY, A POSITION, SOMEBODY MIGHT LEAVE AND YOU MAY NOT FILL THE POSITION FOR A WEEK OR TWO OR MONTH OR TWO.
SO IT MEANS THAT THAT MONEY IS STILL AVAILABLE WITHIN THE ACCOUNT.
SEE NOW THE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY REQUEST, I'VE GOT MANY OF THEM.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CITY ATTORNEY REQUEST, ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK TWO WILL GO AWAY WHEN THE BUDGET IS APPROVED.
WHEN THE BUDGET IS APPROVED, THAT WILL GO AWAY.
THEN YOU HAVE THE ANALYST TAKING PLACE IF YOU APPROVE THE POSITION FOR HER.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? NOW, IF SHE CHOOSES TO PUT HIM AT A 28 STEP ONE, IT MAY HAVE A MINIMAL INCREASE.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE RANGE BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO ADOPT A RANGE AND SCALE THAT HAS MOVED FROM 10 TO 21.
IT MAY HAVE AN ANAND IMPACT OF 45 SENTENCE.
COUNCIL DUETTE, YOU CAN CONTINUE.
BACK TO THE PER BACK TO THE FIRE, THE $1 MILLION.
I LISTENED TO IT'S 1 MILLION IN OVERTIME.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PAGE IT IS.
WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT COUNCILMAN, IF YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH $1 MILLION, YOU AIN'T GONNA TRACK THE W.
WE WE'RE GONNA GET THE PAGE NUMBER FOR YOU RIGHT QUICK.
YESTERDAY, UH, THE LAST TIME WE MET WHEN CHIEF CAME UP, UH, YESTERDAY WHEN CHIEF CAME UP AND, UH, STARTED JUSTIFYING THE $1 MILLION, HE SAID CERTAIN THINGS THAT I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AND I CHECKED, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID WAS THAT HE NEEDS MONEY BECAUSE THERE ARE SCHOOLING THAT THE, UH, PERSONNEL HAS TO GO, CERTIFICATIONS THEY HAVE TO DO.
AND UH, IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY.
WELL, I MADE A STATEMENT YES THE OTHER DAY THAT SAID ALL OF THIS IS A MANAGEMENT PROBLEM FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT IF YOU WANT TO GET PEOPLE CERTIFIED, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER YOUR PERSONNEL, YOUR VACATION AND AVAILABILITY OF PEOPLE IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
THE OTHER THING IS, WHOEVER I'M GOING TO LET GO TO SCHOOL FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, THAT IS WHO I'M GOING TO FUND.
I'M NOT GONNA HAVE MONEY IN THERE TO JUST SEND PEOPLE DURING THE YEAR.
AND IF I KNOW THAT PEOPLE GONNA BE ON, WHY AM I GONNA LET SO MANY PEOPLE GO TO CERTIFICATION AT A TIME? NOW THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS WHY ARE THEY GOING AND DOING ALL THESE CERTIFICATION EVERY YEAR? BECAUSE WHEN I DO THE CONTRACTS FOR OUR CIVIL SERVICE, THAT'S FIRE AND POLICE PART OF THEIR CONTRACTS TALKS ABOUT INCREASED PAY WITH CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WHEN WE SEND THEM TO A CERTIFICATION, IS THE JOB THAT WE HIRED THEM TO DO AND THEY QUALIFIED FOR, DOES IT REQUIRE THAT CERTIFICATION? BECAUSE IF IT DID, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE ANYBODY WORKING.
YOU KNOW, WE HIRE FIREMENS FIREMEN SHOULD MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT HELPING OUR EMPLOYEES ADVANCE, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE WORKED AROUND
[00:45:01]
AND WITH THEIR DUTIES THAT WE PAID THEM TO DO.OKAY? AND IF YOU'RE DOING THAT, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
THE FIRST TIME WE HAD THE BUDGET MEETING AND I ASKED ABOUT IT, HE ALSO MENTIONED, UH, DISASTERS.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF ON A BACK END.
THAT'S COME FROM OUR RE UH, REQUIRED RESERVE AND ALSO FROM REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE GET.
OKAY? SO 110 PEOPLE AND STUFF, AND WE WANT A MILLION DOLLARS.
THEN THE LAST PART OF THAT, BEFORE CHIEF EXPLAIN IT, HE TOLD ME THAT HE REQUESTED 1 MILLION LAST YEAR AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY AT 1.2 MILLION AND THEY'RE GONNA BE OVERSPENT.
THAT'S WHAT THE CHIEF TOLD ME.
AND ONCE AGAIN, HOW CAN ANYBODY IN THIS CITY BE OVERSPENT? BECAUSE WE APPROVE A BUDGET FOR EVERYBODY AND NOBODY IS SUPPOSED TO SPEND MONEY UNLESS IT'S APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO YOU TELL ME HOW SOMEBODY IS OVERSPENDING AND YOU ARE NOT PUTTING THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
YOU SEE, THAT'S WHY I KEEP TALKING ABOUT BUDGETING AND UH, WHEN I DO MY PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS, UH, ORDINANCE WE HAVE THAT EVERYBODY JUST KEEP BLOWING OFF.
AND THAT'S THE HOW WE GET TO SPENDING MONEY LIKE THAT BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS SO IMPORTANT THAT ONCE WE APPROVE IT, WE LOCKED UNLESS IT'S EMERGENCY.
BUT WHAT I HEAR COUNCILMEN SAY, WELL, WE COULD MOVE IT AND GOTTA BE CAREFUL DOING THAT.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, HOW DID WE GET OVER THE, THE 1 MILLION CITY MANAGER? HOW DID THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS DONE SPENT MORE OVERTIME THAN WE PLACED IN THE BUDGET? WHAT'S HAPPENING? UH, I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE THE ASSISTANCE FIRE CHIEF TO ANSWER, BUT LET ME GIVE A PREAMBLE TO THAT.
THE CITY OF BO ARTHUR CARRIES SOMETHING THAT CALLS AN ISO RATING AND IT'S DONE EVERY 10 YEARS.
AND YOUR ISO RATING DIRECTLY IMPACTS HOW MUCH INSURANCE MONEY YOU PAY AS A PROPERTY OWNER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
YOUR ISO RATING PART OF IT COVERS THE CREDENTIALS AND THE STATUS OF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, IF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS AS A NINE OR A 10, THE CITIZENS BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
WE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ARE THE TWO.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO A ONE SO THAT WE, WE, WE LESSEN THE BURDEN ON THE CITIZENS.
WE ARE THE TWO VERY FEW MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS ARE TWO.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INVESTING A MILLION DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU MAINTAIN THAT ISO RATING, WHICH IS PART OF THE CRITERIA OF BEING A SOLID FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS.
WE ARE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE FIREFIGHTERS IN THEIR TRAINING, IN THEIR CREDENTIALS, IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SO THAT WE REMAIN WHERE WE NEED TO BE AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I FULLY SUPPORT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MAKE A DECISION TO CUT IT, THAT'S YOUR DECISION.
WELL, WELL THANK YOU MANAGER AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT AND IT'S GOOD, BUT UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMIND US IF WE WANT TO CUT IT, WE COULD CUT IT.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU, LIKE I TOLD CHIEF, WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
JUST, JUST TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
YOU AND I'LL APPRECIATE IT, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
THE PEOPLE GOING THE TRAINING, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? WHAT TYPE TRAINING AND HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU GO TO TRAINING A YEAR AND THIS CERTIFICATION, IS IT SOMETHING THAT IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR US? BECAUSE WE HIRE PEOPLE LIKE THE MANAGER JUST SAID THAT'S GOOD, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE COULD SEND SOME PEOPLE, WE COULD CONTINUE TO GET PEOPLE.
BUT WHEN WE GOT STREETS AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, WE WANNA KNOW WHY WE GOT THEM MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE GOING TO, AND HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA
[00:50:01]
COST US.THAT'S WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE BUDGET, NOT JUST A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO, UM, WHEN WE HIRE ON PEOPLE, WE COME IN WITH THE MINIMUM TRAINING.
OKAY? SO WE DON'T WANNA OPERATE AT THAT MINIMUM LEVEL.
'CAUSE LIKE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER SAID IT DOES AFFECT OUR ISO RATING.
UM, HOW WE DEAL ABOUT AND SEND PEOPLE TO TRAINING AND GET PEOPLE UP TO THE HIGHER LEVEL.
IF WE SEND FOUR OR FIVE HERE OR THERE, WHAT ARE THE EYES OF THOSE PEOPLE BID ON THERE? IT'S RIGHT AT A 33% CHANCE THAT WE MAKE A PHONE CALL, MAKE, GET A CALL THAT SPECIALIZED PEOPLE WE NEED HAVING THE TRAINING, IF WE ONLY SEND FIVE PEOPLE AT A TIME, FOUR PEOPLE AT A TIME, WE JUST, THE THE, THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP TO HAVING THAT PERSON AVAILABLE WHEN WE NEED THEM.
SO WE TRYING TO SEND MORE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT COVERS MORE SHIFTS, THEN WE HAVE A MORE LIKELIHOOD OF PERSON BEING AVAILABLE FOR THAT VERSUS CALLING SOMEBODY IN.
SO LIKE OUR DIVE TEAM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST PREMIER DIVE TEAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE OPERATE AT A CAPACITY ONLY TWO OTHER DIVE TEAMS IN THE UNITED STATES OPERATE AT.
SO THAT CERTIFICATION AND QUALIFICATION FOR THOSE GUYS IS 12 OF THEM.
IT'S, UH, THE DEPTH OF WATER THEY CAN GO INTO.
UM, ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES AROUND THAT WE CONSTANTLY SENDING THEM FOR TRAINING.
OKAY? NOT ALL OF IT'S OVER TIME.
YOU KNOW, AND, UH, EVERYTHING.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE, WE ONLY ONE OF TWO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IT'S THREE.
I MEAN, I'M GOOD TO THAT, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, DO WE NEED TO BE ONE OF THREE WHEN WE GOT OTHER THINGS TO DO? AND IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY.
SO I'M JUST LISTENING TO IT AND I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, OH, WE NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY.
YES, WE ALL GOT OPINIONS AND I'M NOT HERE TO QUESTION STAFF LIKE SOME COUNCILMEN MAY THINK I'M HERE TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE I'M GOING TO VOTE INDIVIDUALLY AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I, MY PRIORITIES, NOT THAT MY PRIORITIES ARE RIGHT WHEN I VOTE.
OKAY? AND THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD TO HAVE, BUT BEING NUMBER THREE AND SPENDING MORE MONEY TO BE NUMBER TWO OR NUMBER ONE AIN'T WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT BEING IN TRAINED AND RESPOND TO OUR CITIZENS AND PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE.
NOW I WANNA BE NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO OUR CITIZENS.
OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT ANSWERS THAT.
AND, AND HEY, THAT'S THE WAY Y'ALL VIEW IT.
I I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE LIGHTS.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, LEWIS FIRE.
BY TIME TO TIME, I, I I ASK FOR HOW MANY ACTIVE, HOW MANY, WHAT'S OUR TOTAL FIRE HUNDRED.
AND I KNOW, I WANTS TO KNOW OVER THE TIME HOW MANY OF THEM IS NON OPERATING, HOW MANY, WHAT'S OUR TOTAL AND HOW MANY IS OPERATING.
THAT ALSO AFFECTS OUR ISO RATING.
BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY TIMES A A, A FIRE MAY BE IN THE 300 BLOCKS OF PORT ARTHUR AND YOU'RE IN A 1,000 BLOCK WITH HOLES THAT STRUNG ALL TOGETHER.
OF COURSE, BECAUSE THE FIVE HYDRANTS ARE NOT WORKING.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID FIVE HYDRANTS.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID FIVE HYDRANTS.
WHAT Y'ALL THOUGHT I SAID? OH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID FIVE FIGHTERS, BUT I THOUGHT YOU SAID FIVE FIGHTERS AS WELL.
AND HOW MANY WILL YOU HAVE? I CAN RUN THAT REPORT AND GET THAT TO YOU.
I, I'LL, I LIKE, I'LL BE MORE COMFORTABLE GIVING THAT REPORT TO YOU GUYS.
I, I'LL RUN THAT AND MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
SEE, NOW THE FIRST THING, COUNCILMAN FRANK OR ANY COUNCILMAN UP HERE THAT OWNS PROPERTY BUYING INSURANCE GETS THE FIRST THING HE GONNA ASK WHERE, HOW FAR IS THE NEAREST SPY HYDRANT? RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S 500 FEET OR SOMETHING.
IF IT DEPENDS ON HIGH, HIGH CAPACITY, HIGH CAPACITY LOWS, THEN IT'S, UH, EVERY 200, UH, EVERY, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME.
EVERY 400 LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, OUR REFINERY.
BUT MY INSURANCE COMPANY WANTS TO KNOW WHERE, WHERE IS THE NEAR, HOW FAR AWAY IS THE NEAREST 500 AND IS IT WORKING? SO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ISO RATING AND I TRUST ME, I I, WE HAVE TO HAVE CONTINUOUS EDUCATION, MAINTAINING SERVICE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE THINGS THAT COMES WITH THE JOB.
AND WE, WE RUN DIFFERENT, WE RUN, I'M SORRY.
WE RUN THIS REPORT EVERY, UM, WEEK, MONTHLY, AND WE SEND REPORT TO THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE ACCURATELY, UH, GETTING DONE EVERY WEEKLY BIWEEKLY.
SO HE MUST HAVE IT, HE COME UP HERE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THE EMAIL ON ME, BUDDY.
THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 2,800 HYDRANTS.
UM, I, THE NUMBER THAT'S OUT OF SERVICE IS THIS
[00:55:01]
NUMBER.UH, FUNDING EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE HAS BEEN BASED ON GETTING A GRANT.
WE HAVE APPLIED FOR TWO GRANTS UNDER THE FISH AND WILDLIFE.
THEY WERE NEVER FUNDED AT THAT, AT THE TOP LEVEL.
SO THE, THE GRANT APPLICATIONS WERE ACCEPTED.
BUT THE, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIRE HYDRANT.
YOU TALKING ABOUT GETTING MONEY FROM, I'M TALKING ABOUT PREPARING FIRE HYDRANTS AND GETTING GRANTS FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.
THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT WAS ALWAYS LISTED IN THE BUDGET FOR REPLACEMENT OF FIRE HYDRANTS.
WE HAVE VERY OLD FIRE HYDRANTS.
UH, WAS GRANT BASED, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR GRANTS.
THE GRANTS HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED, SO THEREFORE WE NEVER RECEIVED THE GRANT.
SO WE BUY ABOUT 10 TO, WE, NO, ABOUT 30 HYDRANTS A YEAR AND REPLACE AS THEY'RE MAINLY HIT BY CARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WHAT EACH HYDRANT REPAIR COST A REPLACEMENT COST.
THE LAST ONE WE DID WAS ABOUT 8,000 AND UP TO REPLACE THE FIRE HYDRANT.
CITY MANAGER, JUST SAY 10,000 A HYDRANT.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE PUTTING PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES AT RISK.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE WAITING ON A POSSIBLE GRANT.
IF IT COME, IT'S FINE, BUT YOU NEED TO BUDGET FOR THIS AND GET THESE, GET THESE HYDROGEN BACK ON.
WE NEED, YOU NEED TO BUDGET FOR THAT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A, UH, WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO APPLY.
SO FOR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD GRANTS, YOU APPLY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE TO APPLY.
WE APPLIED FOR THE 57 WATER LINES MULTIPLE YEARS.
THEY NOTIFIED US, I THINK SINCE YOU'VE BEEN MAYOR, THAT WE'VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR 22.
AND WE ARE, WE HAVE SUBMITTED ALL THE PAPERWORK.
THEY CAME BACK, UH, THIS LAST WEEK WITH 16 QUESTIONS.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.
UH, AND WHEN WE DO PUT IN WATER LINES SUCH AS ON ATLANTA, WE REPLACE THE FIRE HYDRANTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WATER LINE.
SO WE, THIS IS A $16 MILLION GRANT.
IT WON'T DO ALL THE 56 WATER LINES REMAINING, BUT THOSE LINES WILL GET YOU FIRE HYDRANTS.
GIVE ME, HOW DO I GET INFORMATION ON ISO RATING? WHAT, WHAT DOES ISO STANDS FOR? IT'S, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON IT, IF YOU CAN GET IT BACK TO ME.
CHIEF, I, I WANT TO READ UP ON THAT BECAUSE ISO RATING AND WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR RATINGS? WHAT IT, IT'S THE INSURANCE FOR THE, UH, MUNICIPALITY IS HOW WE DO TAXES AND HOW STUFF IS SET UP FOR OUR PUSH THAT DOWN TO THE CITIZENS.
SO THE, THE HIGHER THE ISO RATING, SO IF YOU HAVE A 10, THAT'S THE WORST.
THERE'S MAYBE I THINK FIVE CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THAT'S AT A ONE, UH, TWO IS VERY HARD TO GET.
WE JUST, WE JUST HAD HOURS DONE AND WE'RE AT A TWO.
UM, AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO GET TO THAT ONE.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA READ ABOUT THE ISO RATING.
HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE AND WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO ISO RATING? WHAT, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA GONNA GO BACK TO WHAT WE ASKED ON TUESDAY.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE A HUNDRED, UH, THE, THE MILLION DOLLARS FOR OVERTIME AND IT'S A NECESSITY WITH, I DON'T WANT ANY CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BE WITHOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM, HOWEVER, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE JOBS THAT ARE GONNA BE ADDED, UH, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH YOUR NUMBER IS GONNA GO FROM ONE 11 TO ONE 18.
THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING NO, SIR.
IO IS, UH, INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE.
SO THAT NUMBER AT ONE 11, THAT'S JUST A TYPO.
UM, WE ALL, BUT WE, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WHEN YOU PRESENT THE COUNCIL, WE NEED EXACTLY WHAT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHAT I'M DOING, THAT ONE 11 IS A TYPO.
BUT PREVIOUS YEAR, UH, 24 25 IS ONE 11 AND THIS NEW YEAR'S GONNA BE ONE 18.
SO THAT'S SEVEN ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT YOU'LL BE ASKING FOR.
AM I RIGHT, PAM? THAT IS ACTUALLY AS, UM, MR. MITCHELL INDICATED IT WAS A TY THAT'S A TYPO.
UM, UNDER THEIR, UH, CIVIL SERVICE AGREEMENT.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IN THE POLICY.
UM, REQUESTING ANY NEW POSITIONS UNDER THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE NEED TO CORRECT WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
COUNCIL APPROVED THAT OCTOBER, UH, CD ORDINANCE IN OCTOBER.
SO, SO IT IT SHOULDN'T BE ONE 11, IT SHOULD BE ONE 18.
BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND IF, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, AND I, I KNOW ABOUT MY COHORTS UP HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT INFORMATION ON IO AND WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THAT RATING? I JUST SENT IT TO YOU.
[01:00:01]
FOUR MAJOR, UH, AREAS AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE? MAYOR, IF YOU WANT, YES.THE FOUR MAJOR AREAS OF THE IO IS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, 9 1 1 SYSTEMS DISPATCH, 10% FIRE DEPARTMENT, STAFFING, TRAINING, EQUIPMENT AND STATIONS.
IT'S 50% WATER SUPPLY HYDRANT DISTRIBUTION, AND RE RE UH, LIABILITY IS 40%.
AND COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION, FIRE PREVENTION, SAFETY EDUCATION, BUILDING CODES, BONUS POINT AND TRUCKS WILL BE ADDED TO THAT.
THIS, THE NEW LEGISLA COME OUT, UH, SEPTEMBER.
WHAT, OCTOBER WHEN TRUCKS WILL BE ADDED TO THAT RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
WELL, CHIEF, AND DON'T GET, DON'T EVER THINK THAT WE DON'T WANT WHAT, WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE WANT YOU GUYS TO ADD A RESOURCE THAT YOUR DIVE TEAM IS EXCELLENT.
YOU GUYS, I KNOW SURROUNDING CITIES, UH, UTILIZE SOME OF THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AND, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M GRATEFUL AT THE SAME TIME.
PORT ARTHUR IS ALWAYS NUMBER ONE WHEN WE ABSOLUTELY.
WE WANT YOU GUYS TO HAVE EXACTLY AND EVERYTHING, ALL THE TRAINING, ALL THE EQUIPMENT, BUT AT, AT SOME TIME, AT SOME POINT WE GOTTA SAY STREAMLINE IT BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN JUST FIRE.
WE GOT THE POLICE, WE GOT OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS DRAINAGE.
AND WHEN WE FIND TOOTH AND, AND COMB THROUGH THESE HAIRS, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE IT.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS MEMBERS AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, YOU STAND YOUR LIGHT ON THE ISO RATING IS, IS STRICTLY DEALING WITH, UH, PUBLIC PROTECTION CLASSIFICATION.
THAT'S WHAT IT, THE REASON I WANT THE COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER TO, IN THE FUTURE, TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER FUNDING THESE THINGS AND BUDGETING IT.
BECAUSE AS THE, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE WATER DEPARTMENT SAID THEY, THEY DEPEND ON GRANTS.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET.
YOU GOT 200, 300 OF THEM INACTIVE.
SO YOU GET INTO WHAT MONEY FOR TWO OR 22? HE SAID, I BELIEVE 22.
AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEND OUR MONEY ON IT UP FRONT AND HOPEFULLY WE GET A GRANT.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, AND THAT MAY BE ILLEGAL, BUT ON THE FRONT END, WE NEED TO BUDGET AND PUT AND GIVE THE, THE CITIZEN THE PROTECTION FOR THEIR PROPERTY BECAUSE THOSE GRANTS ARE COMPETITIVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ETT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON FIRE.
UM, AND NOTHING ELSE ON FIRE? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE, YOU HAVE WANT CONTINUE THE FUND BALANCE.
WHAT PAGE? UH, LYNN, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE S SHOULD BE IN THE FRONT.
I REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN RESPECT TO WHAT IS REQUIRED WITH THE 60 DAY, UH, MAINTENANCE.
AND WHAT, 45 DAYS? THAT 2121? NO, IT'S, UH, PAGE 20.
THEY GAVE US A HANDOUT ON THIS.
THE HANDOUT IS WHEN THEY GAVE IT, SHE GAVE THE LAST HAND OUT.
AND SHE'LL TELL ME, THIS WAS ACTUALLY PRESENTED WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET TWO WEEKS AGO ON THE POWERPOINT, WHERE IT'S GOT THE PROPOSED GENERAL PROPOSED BUDGET GENERAL FUND.
AND IN THAT POWERPOINT ON PAGE THREE, OR NO, I'M SORRY, PAGE NINE, IT REQ IT, IT EQUATES TO THE 60 DAYS OPERATING COST AS A FUND BALANCE, PLUS 1.5 MILLION EQUALS 15,354,418.
AND ALL OF THIS IS IN THE, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO RESEND THIS AGAIN, UH, THIS WAS THE POWERPOINT THAT WAS PRESENTED.
AND AGAIN, THE FUND BALANCE IN 2024, BASED ON THE AUDIT, WAS AT 25,662,689.
WE SUBSIDIZED THE WATER AND SEWER ENTERPRISE BY 7.6 MILLION, AND THE ESTIMATED
[01:05:01]
ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR 2025 IS 18,062,689.OKAY, SO, SO WHAT IS THE ACTUAL, WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR SAVINGS? 15? IS IT 15? 15? WHAT IS IT THEN? SO IT'S 18.
WHAT I AM ESTIMATING IS THAT WE WILL END UP WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 18,062,689, WHICH IS MORE THAN THE 60 DAYS OF THE OPERATING COST PLUS THE 1.5 MILLION 18 MILLION.
THIS BUDGET WE HAVE, THAT'S, AND THE REASON I, I WENT TO THE FUND BALANCE THIS BUDGET.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US IN ORDER TO STAY WITHIN THIS RESERVE THAT IS REQUIRED.
I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OUR RESERVE THAT IS REQUIRED.
NOW, IF WE GO BACK FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WHAT, WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS A CONSTANT DECLINE, I THINK FIVE YEARS AGO PROBABLY.
WHAT? 41? UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 41 OR HIGH THIRTIES FIVE YEARS AGO.
NOW WHY ARE WE DOWN TO 18? WE ARE DOWN TO 18 BECAUSE WE HAVE THINGS THAT WE ARE FUNDING DURING THE YEAR, WHICH AT THE END OF THE YEAR CAUSE US TO HAVE TO COME, UH, USE THE FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO FUND THE, UH, PRECEDING OF THE NEXT YEAR WHEN WE WANT TO DO ALL THESE PROJECTS.
SO IT'S TWO THINGS THAT, TWO THINGS THAT I HAVE A BIG CONCERN WITH.
I KNOW WE ARE NOT GOING TO GENERATE NEARLY THE FUNDS WE HAD THIS YEAR FOR SALE TAX BECAUSE OF THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS NOW GOING TO GET A REDUCTION.
THAT'S GONNA BE ONE SOURCE IS GONNA REALLY HIT US.
THE OTHER THING THAT I KNOW GOING TO COST US, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE WATER UTILITIES.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET ROUND WATER UTILITIES BECAUSE OF THE MANDATE AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND THE KILLING PART ABOUT IT IS, I DON'T CARE WHAT WE RAISED THE WATER RATE THIS YEAR, WE STILL IS NOT GOING TO GET AROUND FUNDING A SUB OR HAVING TO SUB FUND THE WATER UTILITIES.
OKAY? SO THOSE TWO THINGS I KNOW ARE GREAT HURDLES FOR US IN THE COMMON YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, HOW DOES THAT, HOW IS THAT GONNA MARRY UP? BECAUSE THE WAY WE'RE GONE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING, THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT FUND BALANCE THAT STEADY DURING THAT.
AND I HEAR SOMEONE SAY, WOW, WE SUBSIDIZED THE WATER.
BUT LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR YOU
OKAY? AND EVERY TIME WE DO THIS BUDGET, I'VE NEVER HAD THIS, I NEVER SEEN ONE TIME WHERE WE EVER WENT BACK WITH A BUDGET AND ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK AT EXPENDITURES AND COME BACK TO US WITH A REDUCTION.
EVERY TIME THIS COUNCIL HAS ALWAYS APPROVED A BUDGET AND IT WAS A DEFICIT SPENDING BUDGET BECAUSE WE WERE USING MONEY OUT THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND IT THIS YEAR.
YOU SAID YOU ARE PROJECTING THAT WE GOING TO FINISH A YEAR, I MEAN A MILLION OVER AND WE'RE GONNA BE A MILLION, I MEAN A MILLION LESS.
WE GOT A MILLION LEFT AFTER ALL OUR, UH, UH, EXPENDITURES FOR THIS, FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR.
UH, THE HANDOUT THAT WE RECEIVED, NO, SIR.
I ESTIMATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE 18 MILLION AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE GONNA HAVE REMAINING AFTER WE CLOSE OUT THE YEAR.
WE ARE SAYING THAT WE WON'T USE ANY MONEY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET FROM WHAT YOU PASSED OUT.
YOU SAID THAT UNLIKE PRECEDING YEARS,
[01:10:01]
WE ARE GONNA FINISH 1 MILLION.WE'RE GONNA, I MAYBE I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I HAVE ESTIMATED THAT WE'RE GOING TO FINISH OUT AS AT A FUND BALANCE OF 18 MILLION.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FUND, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE.
UH, FOR ANY THEY THING IT IS, IT'S THIS, UH, IN THE BUDGET, OUR SHEET WHERE THEY ADDRESS US IN THE FRONT OF THE BUDGET, WHEN THEY GIVE THE, UH, RESULTS, IT SAYS YEAR END 2024 RESULTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
THE FIRST PAGE, IT LOOKED LIKE THIS.
IT'S IN THE FRONT OF OUR THING.
AT THE BOTTOM OF IT SAYS YEAR IN 2024.
SAY, AS WE'VE BEGUN PREPARING FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IN THE CURRENT YEAR, 2023, 2024, YOU WOULD SAID HERE THE FIRST, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LAST YEAR.
BUT YOU SAID YOU HAD I'M, I'M SORRY, LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE, WE WAS A YEAR, SO WE DIDN'T BALANCE THE BUDGET FROM THIS.
BUT I THOUGHT LAST YEAR WE HAD TAKEN, UH, MONEY OUT OF FUND BALANCE THE BUDGET.
WE HAD, I HAD PROPOSED A 14 MILLION AT THAT TIME, OR NO, IT'S 12 MILLION.
AND THAT'S ALSO REFLECTED ON PAGE 23.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, UH, GOT ME CONCERNED IS THE FACT THAT WE GOT THESE ITEMS THAT WE REALLY GOING TO, IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO PREDICT AS A DIRECTOR HOW MUCH SALES TAX WE GOING TO GET, BUT ONE THING YOU CAN PREDICT IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE LESS THAN THIS YEAR.
CORRECT? NO SALE TAX SALES TAX IS THE MOST PROMISING FORM OF REVENUE THAT WE HAVE PROJECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOR THE CITY.
PROPERTY, PROPERTY SALE, PROPERTY PROPERTY, PROPERTY TAX IS GOING DOWN PROPERTY, DOWN TAX.
AND THAT IS THE DISCUSSION WE NEED TO HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR.
WHAT, BECAUSE PROPERTY TAX, BASED ON HOW THE BUDGET IS PREPARED THIS YEAR, THERE IS NO WAY THAT WE CAN FUND THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR ON PROPERTY TAX, ON THE EXISTING RATES OF PROPERTY TAX.
WE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE PHOTOS NEXT YEAR TO ASK THEM FOR AN INCREASE AND ALLOWABLE INCREASE WELL, IN PROPERTY TAX.
WELL, THE THING ABOUT IT SAID, MAN, YOU SAY WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTE.
I THINK THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT THIS BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHY WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS GOTTA GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE BUDGET.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN STAFF COME TO YOU, THEY'RE SAYING WHAT THEY WANT TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
OKAY? BUT WE, AS THE STEWARDS, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE WANT AND AS, AS A OPPOSED TO WHAT IS THE NEED.
AND PROPERTY TAX IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE OF THE LAW.
I SAID SALES TAX, I MEANT PROPERTY TAX.
AND, AND IT'S SO HUGE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE DELINQUENT ANYWAY.
SO WE HAVE TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT WE ARE GONNA BE LOSING THAT.
SO I'M CONCERNED, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT US, UH, TAKING MONEY AND, UH, BALANCING THIS BUDGET AS OPPOSED TO FIRST GOING BACK AND START CUTTING.
UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S, UH, JUST READING THE OTHER DAY ON THE, ON THE, UM, INTERNET WHERE, UH, BEAUMONT, UH, HIGHLIGHTED WELL WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PUBLISHED TO DO TOO, TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT.
BUT THEY, THEY GAVE A GENERAL SUMMARY OF, OF THEIR BUDGET.
AND UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID WAS AFTER THE BUDGET WAS PRESENTED, THEY WENT BACK AND THEY ENDED UP REDUCING THE EXPENDITURES, YOU KNOW, UH, AND STUFF.
IN FACT, I HAD IT WRITTEN DOWN HERE, BUT I WON'T HOLD IT.
UH, THEY CUT IT DOWN LIKE TWO,
[01:15:01]
3 MILLION.SO SOMETIME THAT'S WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT.
SEE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT WE QUESTION.
I DON'T QUESTION, I DON'T QUESTION STAFF, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO RUBBER STAMP STAFF.
IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW WE CAN DO THINGS.
AND THE WAY I UNDERSTAND DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS TO BE THAT WAY, BUT IT AIN'T MY BRIGHT IDEAS OR WHAT I THINK IS BASICALLY WHAT IT IS.
SO THAT, UH, BUDGET FUNDING, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE.
IF ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ADDRESS THE FUND BALANCE, LEMME JUST SHARE THIS WITH THE COUNCIL.
I DON'T THINK, LEMME JUST SHARE THIS.
YEAH, I DON'T, I THERE IS, BASED ON THE TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE COLLECTED, THIS, THE PROJECTED, WE ARE ONLY GOING TO COLLECT LESS THAN $200,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES.
WHAT? 200,000 SHE GAVE IT TO YOU? I HAVEN'T.
THERE'S A 30, 33% DECREASE IN PROPERTY TAX, MAN.
SO PROPERTY TAX IS GOING TO DECREASE.
THERE IS A GOING TO BE A THIRD.
AND THAT IS WHY IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE CUT THE BUDGET, WE SUBMITTED A BUDGET, A STATUS QUO BUDGET THAT IS LESS THAN THE LAST BUDGET.
UH, SO, SO REDUCTION IS, AND THERE IS THAT REDUCTION ALONG ALL LINES OF OPERATING IN THIS BUDGET, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOKED AT WHAT WAS PRESENT, WHAT IS OUR, BASED ON THE GRAPHS, WHAT IS OUR TAX RATES GOING TO BE? YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOWER TAX RATE 0.61.
AND I JUST GOT IT IN EMAIL 0.6574, I BELIEVE.
I JUST GOT AN EMAIL, I BELIEVE IT WAS EARLY THIS WEEK FROM THE COUNTY ASSESSOR, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING ANOTHER $1.5 MILLION DECREASE STARTING IN JANUARY.
SO SHE JUST NOTIFIED ME OF THAT.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY AS YOU WERE SAYING, MAYOR PRO TEM BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS THAT HAS BEEN MADE AT THE TEXAS LEGISLA LEGISLATURE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, AND HERE HE GROW, REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU COLLECT THE PROPERTY TAX LEGALLY, PART OF IT HAS TO GO TO DEBT FINANCING.
IT IS AUTOMATIC THAT YOU PAY YOUR DEBT FIRST.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE HOUSE, YOU PAY YOUR BILLS, YOUR UTILITY BILLS IN TERMS OF YOUR, YOUR ELECTRICITY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE HOUSE, YOU PAY FOR GAS AND HEAT JOSE TAX COLLECTION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, IS THERE ANYBODY BEHIND? THAT'S WHAT I'M, NO, IT'S NOT BEHIND AND WE ARE BEHIND ON IT, BUT I'M VERY GOOD IN COLLECTING THE SALES TAX.
OKAY? AND AS I SAID, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GOT TO LOOK AT FOR THE NEXT BUDGET, RIGHT? AND WE, WE NEED, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON THAT BEFORE THE BUDGET, LONG BEFORE WE GET TO THE BUDGET PROCESS, IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO TO SENSITIZE THE CITIZENS THAT THERE IS GOING.
WE HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE NORM OF NOT ASKING FOR A TAX INCREASE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE MOST OF THE, MOST OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, IN ORDER TO FUND THE, TO FUND THE BUDGET, THEY HAVE HAD TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT NORM IN ORDER TO FUND FUTURE BUDGETS.
SO WE, WE GOT TO, WE GOT TO LOOK AT THAT VERY CLOSELY FOR THE FUTURE AS, AS WE MOVE AHEAD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, LEWIS CITY MANAGER, WHEN WE UNCOUPLE, I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS GONNA, COUNCIL, WHEN WE UNCOUPLE THE WATER AND SEWAGE DEPARTMENT FROM THE GENERAL FUND WAS THE TAX RATES AT 79 CENTS.
WHAT WAS THE TAX RATE THEN? BUT 0.79.
I DUNNO IF THAT RELATED TO, THAT MAY NOT BE SOME INFORMATION.
THE, I DON'T KNOW, THE, THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOVERNED BY STATE LAW AND IN 2022 YOU HAD A PERCENTAGE THAT YOU COULD INCREASE UP TO AND YOU GUYS STAYED STABLE.
AND THAT'S ON PAGE FOUR OF THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU ALL STAYED STABLE UNTIL THEY LIMITED IT AND SAID NO, YOU CAN'T COLLECT MORE THAN NOW 3.5%.
AND SO THAT DROPPED AND THAT HAS CONTINUALLY DROPPED SINCE 2022.
SO THAT WE DO HAVE A COMPLETE 22 TOTAL PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN TAXES OVER FOUR YEARS BECAUSE OF THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS NOT RELATED TO UNCOUPLING OF THE WATER AND SEWER AT ALL.
THIS IS JUST YOUR STATUTORY, THIS IS ALL THE PROPERTY TAXES YOU CAN COLLECT.
LET ME SHARE, LET ME SHARE ONE THING AGAIN, WITH THE CITY, WE HAVE TWO GOOD THINGS GOING FOR THE CITY.
RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE A LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM,
[01:20:01]
RIGHT? WHERE YOU CONTINUE TO SEE INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER WASTEWATER AND MORE SO DRAINAGE OF THE CITY.YOU HAVE OVER $78 MILLION WORTH OF WORK GOING ON RIGHT NOW THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN, IN DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE CASH FLOW WHERE IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPEND THAT MONEY AND IT'S GOING OUT TO THE CONTRACTORS.
THE MONEY IS NOT COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS IT SHOULD FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER.
THE PEOPLE ARE NOT THERE TO ANSWER THE PHONE.
THEY DO NOT PROCESS THE PAPERWORK.
SO THAT IS CONTINUING TO HAVE US IN VIS GROUP FOR CASH FLOW.
AND THAT IS WHAT, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT OUR BUDGETS IF WE DO NOT IMPLEMENT PRUDENT FINANCIAL MEASURES AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT IS WHAT THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR HAS BEEN VERY GOOD AT IN ASSISTING US TO DO.
SO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, UH, MONEY GOING OUT, NOT CONSTANTLY SPENDING MONEY OUT, MONEY GOING OUT.
IT'S NOT COMING IN AS WAITING FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
AND THAT, LOOK, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.
THAT'S HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPERATES.
IT GOES OUT TODAY, IT TAKES SIX MONTHS OR 13 YEARS TO COME BACK TO THE CITY.
BUT IS THAT A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE? YES.
BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S OWING US AND WE ARE NOT OWING THEM.
IT COULD BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE COULD BE OWING THEM AND THEY COULD EXPECT IT FROM US.
BUT WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY, THE CITIZENS ARE SEEING THE IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAINAGE AND OTHER FORMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S THE STREETS ARE BEING PREPARED, REPAIRED STREETS ARE BEING RENOVATED.
THERE ARE UPGRADES AT THE WASTEWATER PLANT.
YOU HAVE OVER $80 MILLION IN A NEW WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
GRANTED, WE HAVE NOT, WE ARE NOT READY FOR ANY NEW INDUSTRY COMING IN BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE ARE FULL WITH THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, IT WOULD HAVE ALREADY MET ITS FULL CAPACITY.
BUT WE DO HAVE A NEW WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.
THOSE ARE THE SONGS THAT WE NEED TO SING.
AND IT'S NOT ALL GLOOM AND DOOM IN THE CITY OF POFA.
AND THERE'S NO MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS IN THE CITY OF POFA.
UH, THE LAST, WELL, NOT THE LAST THING, BUT TOO MANY, UH, UH, LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY NOT BEING DETAILED ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THESE MONEY, ESPECIALLY IN ADMIN AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, FOR RE RENOVATIONS OF THINGS AND THEN YOU BROKE IT DOWN IN SOME AREAS.
OKAY? I'VE ALREADY TALKED WITH, UH, MS. ALPO IN REFERENCE TO THE PARKS AND SHE, SHE UNDERSTAND.
BUT WHENEVER YOU DO BUDGETS, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE.
AS POSSIBLE, ESTIMATED COSTS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF WE ARE GOING TO DO WORK ON THIS PARTICULAR PARK IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR, WHATEVER WE PLAN ON DOING, WE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY CHECKED TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH IT GOING TO COST SO WE COULD GET AN ESTIMATED COST SO THAT WE COULD FUND IT.
OKAY? BUT WE ARE NOT BREAKING IT DOWN ENOUGH THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE.
ONE IS THAT YOU WANT US CITIZENS AND EVERYBODY TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE FITTING TO SPEND DOING THIS.
BUT AS COUNCIL PEOPLE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ALSO FOLLOW FUNDING AND TO ENSURE THAT THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT FOR THAT.
BECAUSE CHAPTER 1 0 2, SECTION 0 0 9 STATES THAT THE MONEY APPROVED IN A BUDGET SHOULD BE SPENT IN STREET COMPLIANCE OF THE BUDGET APPROVED.
[01:25:02]
I JUST, I JUST DON'T SEE, ESPECIALLY ADMIN, ADMINISTRATIVE.AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE ACTUALLY PUTTING IN THE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FOR ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND STUFF, IT JUST, IT JUST, UH, BEGS ME TO WONDER WHAT IS OUR PRIORITIES? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR PRIORITIES WHEN PUTTING THAT KIND OF MONEY OUT? BECAUSE I'M NOT SAYING WE CAN'T DO ALL THESE THINGS.
YES WE CAN, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH CAN WE REALLY PUT INTO IT EACH YEAR.
YOU CAN EAT AN ELEPHANT ONE BITE AT A TIME, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EAT IT AT ONE SETTING.
SO THAT'S THE, THE THING THAT WE HAVE.
MY LAST, UH, QUESTION WAS ON STREETS AND WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE BUDGET.
I'M GONNA DO A PRESENTATION ON THAT ONE SO I DON'T HAVE TO TALK LONG TODAY.
AND THEN THE CITY MAN JUST STATED ABOUT APPROPRIATION.
WE'RE GONNA FIND ABOUT THAT DURING THE PRESENTATION AND THEY'RE GONNA BE, SO WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE TO DO NO DEBATING ON THAT ONE.
THEY'LL JUST PUT SOME INFORMATION THAT IS GONNA BE SUPPORTED.
BUT THE STREET PROGRAM IN THIS BUDGET, THE ONLY THING I SEE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR THAN ANY OTHER YEAR FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE 21 PHYSICAL YEAR, 22 PHYSICAL YEAR, 23 AND 24 IN THIS ONE, THE ONLY THING I SEE DIFFERENT IS THE FACT THAT YOU LISTED STREETS, OKAY? AND YOU ENLISTED AMOUNTS, UH, BY DISTRICTS.
BUT, UH, WHEN I DO THE PRESENTATION, I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT, UH, WHEN I DO THAT PRESENTATION, IT'S GONNA BE FOR CITIZENS.
I'M TIRED TALKING ABOUT IT ON THIS DAYS.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE ADOPTED PROGRAM AND YOU COULD PREPARE FOR THE PENN STATE IF YOU JUST KNOW THE ADOPTED PROGRAM.
BUT WHEN I HEAR SOMEONE TELL ME THAT WE CAN DO WHAT ARE YOU UTIL UTILITIES OR DRAINAGE PROJECT WITH STREETS MONEY, THAT'S NO FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO, WHO MENTIONED THAT.
WE SAY IF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS UNDER THE STREET, THEN WE FIX IT.
HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT UNDER THE STREET IS.
UNDER THE STREET MEAN IS WHEN YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS CROSSING THE MAJORITY OF WATER, UTILITIES, THE MAINS DO NOT RUN UNDER THE STREETS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
MAYBE ON A MAJOR STREET OR SOMETHING.
BUT YOU'RE TALKING RESIDENTIAL.
THE WATER LINES ARE IN THE EASEMENTS.
YEAH, THEY'RE IN, THEY, THEY'RE IN THE EASEMENTS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE WATER LINES TO FIX THE STREET WHEN IT'S IN THE EASEMENT.
OKAY? WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN OF THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, YOU ASK YOURSELF, OKAY, WHAT DID THE ADOPTIVE PROGRAM SAY? HOW YOU BREAK THE MONEY DOWN.
OKAY? WHEN I HEAR STAFF TELL ME THAT THE STAFF DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BREAK THE MONEY DOWN, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PROGRAM, THAT'S WHO BREAKS THE MONEY DOWN IS THE STAFF.
WE DON'T, THE STAFF BREAKS IT DOWN AND BRING IT TO US.
SO I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE FILING THIS? BUT MY PRESENTATION, I WON'T WASTE TIME HERE.
THE PRESENTATION WILL COVER THAT AND HOW WE DO WITH THAT, OTHER THAN THAT, MAYOR, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE SO FAR WITH THIS BUDGET.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW.
NOW I'M GONNA END WITH, END WITH THIS.
SO, UH, CITY MANAGER, YOU'RE GONNA GET A, A CORRECTED COPY OF THE BUDGET BECAUSE WHEN DO WE HAVE TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET BY? IT'S ON THE ACCOUNT.
UH, SO BY TUESDAY, RIGHT? SO, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU, THAT'S SCHEDULE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET IT TO US MONDAY, I GUESS TO PREPARE FOR TUESDAY.
CAN YOU, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? THE DAY THURSDAY NOW Y'ALL, I'M DEPENDING ON TIME.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ETT YES, WE DO THE BUDGET, WE DO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 22ND.
[01:30:02]
23RD.BUT I ALWAYS HEAR THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET WHEN WE DO THAT.
YEAH, THE THE, I THINK IT'S ON THE AGENDA TOO, TOO.
NO, NO, NO, NO, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST SAYING WE HAVE UNTIL THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER TO ADOPT THIS BUDGET.
SO IF WE MEET TUESDAY AND EVERYTHING, WHEN AFTER WE DO THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ACTION, WE CAN EITHER ADOPT IT OR WE CAN SET A DATE TO ADOPT IT.
BUT SOMETIME YOU SAY WE GOTTA ADOPT IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET ON THE 23RD WITH THE NEW POSTING REGULATIONS.
CAN WE, CAN SOMEONE TELL US WHEN WE'D HAVE TO ADOPT IT BY? I THINK WE HAVE TO.
I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE, I THINK THAT WE, IF YOU DON'T ADOPT IT THAT DAY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, YOU HAVE TO POST IT.
YEAH, BECAUSE IT'D HAVE TO BE POSTED FIVE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE, SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TIME SPECIAL MEETING.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TIME FOR SPECIAL MEETING WITH THE NEW GUIDELINES OF POSTING.
THERE'S ALSO AN ORDER IN WHICH WE'RE AGAIN GOVERNED BY THE TEXAS STATUTE IN WHICH WE HAVE TO DO IT PROCEDURALLY.
AND I KNOW I HAD BEEN ASKED ABOUT THIS AND I DOUBLE CHECKED.
I KNOW IT DOESN'T SEEM LOGICAL, BUT THIS IS YOUR LEGISLATURE WHERE WE HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AND THEN WE ADOPT THE TAX RATE AND THEN WE ADOPT THE TAX ROLL THE SAME TIME AND WE HAVE TO DO IT IN A SPECIFIC ORDER AS REQUIRED.
WE, WE WON'T HAVE TIME TO BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST TO, TO POSTPONE IT.
AND THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET, TAX RATE, EVERYTHING TAX.
HE GOT, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE GOOD? UM, YOU GOT A QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE, BUT I'M WAITING TO ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS'S QUESTION.
I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE STREET.
UH, I SEE THE LIST THAT MR. HONEY TOLD ME, PUT IT LAST TWO, WE LAST TWO DAYS OF, UH, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN HE IS ALLOCATING $9 MILLION FOR THE STREET, NUMBER ONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, BECAUSE IT LOOKED AT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE IS TAKING MOST OF THE MONEY FROM A STREET, $9 MILLION ON THIS LIST AND $14 MILLION ON WOOL WAR BOULEVARD TAKING MONEY FROM DIFFERENT DISTRICT, ANOTHER THREE DISTRICT TAKING ALL THIS MONEY, PUT EVERYTHING ON THIS STREET ONE.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND, I DON'T KNOW IT IS CORRECT OR NOT THAT DISTRICT FOUR IS THE ONE WHO HAS MORE STREETS.
UH, I, I ASKED THAT QUESTION BEFORE, BUT WHEN DISTRICT FOUR WAS GETTING ALL THE MONEY, NOBODY WAS UP HERE ASKING QUESTIONS.
SO, WELL IT IS THE ONE WITH MODEST STREETS.
LEMME JUST, I'M GONNA JUST EXPLAIN IT.
AND WHEN DISTRICT THREE, WHEN I WAS A DISTRICT THREE COUNCIL MEMBER, I WAS ALWAYS IN LAST OF THE FIRST FOUR YEARS AND, AND NOBODY HAD AN ISSUE WITH IT.
AND I WAS BRINGING UP THAT SAME SITUATION WHERE THAT NOW, WHEN DISTRICT FOUR HAS THE MAJORITY OF THE STREETS DONE IN THIS DISTRICT OR THAT DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY, BUT THAT'S WHY WE GO ON PERCENTAGE.
WE GO ON A NUMBER OF STREETS THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED AND THE PERCENTAGE DICTATES ON HOW MUCH MONEY GOES IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
SO, BUT FOR THE FIRST FIVE, FOUR YEARS, DISTRICT THREE WAS AT THE BOTTOM AND I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WE VOTED AND WE, WE, WE SAID WE'RE GONNA BE TEAM PLAYERS AND WE ARE GONNA DO IT THAT WAY.
SO NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE NOW AFTER WHAT, WHAT'S THE AMOUNT OF COMPLETION OF STREETS THE DISTRICT FOUR HAS, BUT HE'S AT THE BOTTOM.
THAT DISTRICT IS AT THE BOTTOM NOW BECAUSE THAT DISTRICT HAS GOT THE MOST STREETS, UH, UH, DONE IN THE LAST PROGRAM THAT WE HAD.
SO, WELL, IF, IF IT IS THE LARGEST DISTRICT, IT IS MORE DISTRICT THAN NOBODY ELSE, BUT THEY GOT THE MOST, YOU CAN'T SPEND ALL THE MONEY IN DISTRICT FOUR BECAUSE IT'S THE LARGEST DISTRICT.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT HOW WE DID THIS PROGRAM.
WE DID THIS PROGRAM BASED UPON TRYING TO GET, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT OF THE POLITICS OF IT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DID A, A X-RAY OF ALL THE STREETS THAT'S IN PORT ARTHUR.
EVERY, EVERY DISTRICT, EVERY DISTRICT HAD BAD STREETS.
BUT I WAS ASKED TO BE A TEAM PLAYER.
UH, I'M SORRY, WHAT? HE, WAIT A MINUTE.
SO, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT STICK, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVING THE LARGEST DISTRICT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU GET ALL THE MONEY OR MAJORITY OF THE MONEY.
IT'S BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS.
IT'S BASED UPON THE MATRIX THAT I WAS ON
[01:35:01]
COUNCIL AT THE TIME THAT WE DECIDED HOW WE WERE GONNA DO THIS PROGRAM.I DIDN'T LIKE IT, BUT I WAS ASKED TO BE A TEAM PLAYER.
WELL, YOU SHOULD BE A TEAM PLAYER AND DON'T SPEND $40 MILLION FROM STREET TO A, TO A NO.
WELL, BECAUSE YOU BOUGHT ON IT, YOU WAS AGREED TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT WAY.
I'M GONNA, UM, ON, ON, ON BENCHES, ON TRASH CAN, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STREETS.
AND YOU BOUGHT IT TO APPROVE IT.
I'M, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, MA'AM.
YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ON HOW YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ON HOW THE PROGRAM WAS BEING CONDUCTED.
I TRIED TO ANSWER IT FOR YOU AND YOU GO INTO TRASH CANS AND GARBAGE AND BENCHES, BUT THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UH, WHEN I DID NOT LIKE THE, I DID NOT LIKE HOW THAT PROGRAM STARTED AT THE BEGINNING AND THEY HAVE ALL MONEY GO IN BECAUSE OF THE, THE DISTRICT IS BEING LARGER THAN ANY OTHER DISTRICT AND THAT'S WHEN THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY GONNA GO.
I DIDN'T LIKE THAT, BUT I WAS ASKED TO BE A TEAM PLAYER AND THAT'S WHY I VOTED TO GO AND CONTINUE THAT.
SO IF YOUR QUESTION IS STILL ASKING WHY DISTRICT ONE HAS THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY, IS IT THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY.
UM, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE STREETS AND THE BUDGET.
THAT'S YOUR ALLOCATION OF THE BUDGET.
THAT'S YOUR, OKAY, SO I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
THE WAY, WHAT CAUSES CERTAIN DISTRICTS TO GET MORE MONEY, THEY'RE OLDER.
YOU, THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER WHAT'S CALLED A STREET INVENTORY AND THAT'S WHAT WE AGREED TO WORK OFFERS.
YOU FIX THE WORST STREETS FIRST AND YOU THE WORST STREETS.
AND THE LARGE VOLUME OF STREETS IS IN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT FOUR.
NOW THIS THING ABOUT A TEAM PLAYER.
WELL, IF IT GOT A TEAM, WELL WHO? THE COACH WHO, WHO'S IN CHARGE?
VOTERS DIDN'T LET ELECT NO TEAM.
SO IF THEY GO BY THE STREET INVENTORY AND RATING OF THE STREETS, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS BECAUSE YES, DISTRICT ONE HAS THEM A LOT OF STREETS.
MY, MY DISTRICT GOES FROM SABINE PASS TO STADIUM ROAD FROM 19TH STREET TO INTERCOASTAL CANAL.
AND THEY GOT THE WORST STREET BECAUSE IT'S THE OLDEST.
SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE GOING BY, NOT THE PERCENTAGE.
GO FOLLOW THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND THEY GOT 'EM ALL CODED STREET INVENTORY AND IT'S GONNA STILL FALL OUT.
WELL, DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT FOUR IS GONNA BE GETTING MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THOSE LARGE VOLUME OF RIES COUNCIL MEMBER ETT, YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TEAM PLAYER I THAT AND I THIS, WHEN I SPEAK, I SPEAK WHAT'S WRITTEN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THIS COUNCIL HAD FAILED TO DO IS ADOPTED.
WHEN IT'S ADOPTED, THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL.
WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR DON'T LIKE IT, THIS CITY NEED TO FOLLOW WHAT'S WRITTEN.
NOT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT OR WE GOT THE VOTES NOT TO DO IT.
NO, IT'S WRITTEN HOW IT'S RUN.
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT BEING COUNSEL, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE OR AMEND ANYTHING THAT IS IN PLACE, BUT UNTIL YOU DO THAT, YOU FOLLOW IT.
THIS COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO VIOLATE POLICY PROCEDURES OR LAWS.
AND THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM HERE.
SO IT AIN'T ABOUT A TEAM PLAYER, IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S WRITTEN.
IT AIN'T ABOUT WHAT I AGREE TO OR WHAT I WANT.
BECAUSE AS LONG AS I HAVE SPOKEN, I HAVE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT GETTING THIS FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID WHAT THE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED.
I WAS ON THE COUNCIL WHEN WE ADOPTED THE PROGRAM, I KNOW WHAT THE PROGRAM SAID.
I KNOW WHAT THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM WAS.
AND IF CITIZENS GO AND WATCH THOSE TWO MEETINGS IN WHICH IT WAS PRESENTED AND THE MEETING IN WHICH WE ADOPTED IT, YOU WOULD
[01:40:01]
UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM AND HOW THE PROGRAM IS SUPPOSED TO BE RAN.IT'S NOT ABOUT TEAM, IT'S NOT ABOUT COMP, IT'S NOT ABOUT DISTRICTS.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT DISTRICT FOUR.
I I'M THINKING THE WHOLE CITY.
'CAUSE I DRIVE THE WHOLE CITY.
I DON'T DRIVE JUST DISTRICT FOUR.
BUT IF YOU HAVE MORE STREETS IN A DISTRICT, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY SAYING WE GOING TO SPEND THE SAME MONEY? WELL, THAT, THAT WOULD DISCUSS IN ENTIRETY.
WHEN WE DID THE, WHEN WE ADOPTED THE PROGRAM, WHEN WE ADOPTED A PROGRAM, IT WAS CLEAR.
COUNCILMAN KINLER, HE, HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT FAIR AND THE COUNCIL HEARD.
BUT WHEN THE COUNCIL VOTED, IT VOTED TO ADOPT IT FOR IT TO BE DONE IN THAT RATIO.
AND WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO ADOPTING THIS PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM WAS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT POLITICS.
THAT'S WHY STAFF WERE THE ONES THAT GOING TO DIVIDE THE MONEY BY THE PERCENTAGE STAFF.
WERE THE ONE THAT'S GONNA PUT DOWN A LIST FOR EACH DISTRICT THAT THEY RECOMMEND.
AND THEN THE COUNCIL MEMBER GET WITH THAT STAFF, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GET WITH THAT STAFF AND YOU COMPILE A WHOLE LIST.
AND WHEN YOU COMPILE A WHOLE LIST, ONCE IT'S AGREED UPON BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE STAFF, THE WHOLE LIST IS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
CITIZENS KNOW, WE KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOW FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NOBODY KNOWS THIS YEAR YOU GOTTA LIST THE STREET $28 MILLION.
YOU CAN'T SPEND 10 MIN IN ONE YEAR, BUT YOU GONNA SPEND 28 BE REAL.
UM, CAN I, I, I WANNA, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
I'M GONNA ASK THIS QUESTION REAL QUICKLY.
WHEN I WAS GETTING READY TO GET OFF COUNCIL IN 23, 21, 22, WE HAD, UM, I HEARD YOU COUNCILMAN KINLAW MENTION THAT WE HAD A, UM, THE X-RAY MACHINE, THE DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED FOR REHAB RECONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT, WE DIDN'T GET MONEY FOR STREETS UNTIL 2020 NOVEMBER OF 2020.
AND SO IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, WHEN WE DID GET MONEY FOR STREETS, UM, THE FIRST SET OF STREETS HAD BEEN ACTUALLY COMPILED BY, UM, BY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WITH A MAP, AS I REMEMBER US BEING IN THOSE MEETINGS.
AND THEN, UM, AFTER THAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS A LOT OF, UM, POLITICS, POLITICS, POLITICS AND, AND THAT BEING WITH CERTAIN STREETS BEING PULLED AND CERTAIN STREETS BEING DONE.
SO THEN IN 2022, YOU ONLY HAVE MONEY.
TWO YEARS NOW, WE, WE DECIDED THAT AT, WHEN I'M ON COUNCIL, THAT WE WOULD GET AND HAVE THIS X-RAY, I CALL IT AN X-RAY MACHINE, X-RAY TRUCK.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S TRUCK, WHATEVER, BUT IT WOULD GO DOWN EVERY, EVERY STREET, EVERY STREET IN THIS CITY AND DETERMINE WHAT WAS REHAB, WHAT WAS RECONSTRUCTION, WHAT WAS JUST, UM, THE, UM, JUST REMEDIATION JUST TO BE RE REDONE OR RESURFACED.
AND THEN THAT WILL CLASSIFY HOW STREETS WILL BE DONE IN EVERY DISTRICT.
UM, ON THE WEBSITE, IF YOU GO, IT'S BEEN UPDATED AS OF AUGUST OF 2025, AND YOU CLICK ON THE MAP, IT'S, THE WEBSITE IS UPDATED.
AND IF YOU COULD PULL IT UP WITH YOUR PHONE, YOU CAN SEE IN EVERY DISTRICT WHAT STREETS HAVE BEEN DONE.
UM, DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE, DISTRICT FOUR, UH, DISTRICT FOUR HAS REALLY THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
DISTRICT ONE HAS SOME WORK, BUT IT, IT HAS THE ADDRESSES, EVERYTHING IS THERE.
MY QUESTION, MY, MY QUE IS THAT, ARE WE USING THE DATA, WHOEVER'S AS WE PREPARE STREETS COMPARED AND MEETING WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS? I'VE BEEN GONE FOR TWO YEARS, SO 23, 24, 25.
SO THE QUESTION COMES TO MIND BECAUSE I KNOW THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A PRESENTATION COMING UP.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE USING THE DATA FROM AN X-RAY MACHINE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DETERMINE WHAT STREETS TO DO? I'VE NOT MET WITH ANYBODY.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M THE, I'M MAYOR, BUT, AND I'M NOT A DISTRICT PERSON AND NOT COLLABORATIVELY WORKING WITH THE DISTRICTS AS YOU GUYS HAVE.
BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER IN 21 OR 22 ONCE WE HAD MONEY, IF THAT WAS A WRITTEN PLAN BY WHICH, UM, I THINK IT WAS PROPOSED STREETS AND THEN WE HAD THE X-RAY MACHINE COME IN, WHICH CLASSIFIED STREETS.
SO ARE WE USING A DATA TO DETERMINE WHICH STREETS TO PROPOSE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEM FOR, UH, THE WORK TO BE DONE?
[01:45:01]
SO WHO CAN ANSWER THAT? WELL, A FEW THINGS HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE.A FEW THINGS HAVE HAPPENED JUST FOR CLARITY.
COUNCIL HAS CHANGED IN THAT PERIOD.
SO WHAT WAS FIRST ADOPTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM USED A CERTAIN FORMULA OF LINEAR FEET.
SO, OH, AND SWUNG FROM LINEAR FEET TO THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH OF USING THE RESULTS, THE DATA THAT EMERGED FROM A A, A STUDY THAT WAS DONE USING X-RAY EQUIPMENT TO DETERMINE FROM ONE TO 10 WHAT WERE THE BEST.
AND LOOK, SO IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I ARE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THAT'S BEEN PLACED THERE, IT HAS NEVER BEEN CONSISTENT.
OKAY? ONE TIME IT HAS NEVER BEEN CONSISTENT, NEVER BEEN, THERE'S NO CONSISTENCY.
ONE TIME YOU USE THE EXTRA MACHINE DATA AS YOUR JUSTIFICATION ON THE RESOLUTION THAT IS BEING CRAFTED.
ANOTHER TIME YOU USE THE LINEAR FEET PART OF IT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THE COUNCILMAN WAS USED THE LINEAR FEATURE THAT WAS YES.
AND NOT HOW IT WAS FROM, AND DID NOT USE THE DATA.
AND THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE CHANGE IN MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
IT'S JUST LIKE, LET ME GIVE YOU A, I UNDERSTAND A SIMILAR ANALOGY.
PRESIDENT BIDEN DID ONE THING WITH THE EPA, PRESIDENT TRUMP CAME AND ANYTHING I, I, I FOLLOW YOU.
BUT I, BUT SO THE, IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
IS THERE A WRITTEN PLAN? I'M ASKING? NO, BECAUSE YOU FLOPPED BETWEEN ONE AND THE NEXT.
BECAUSE OF THE COUNCIL SAYING THERE IS NO SET WRITTEN PROGRAM IN STONE.
THAT'S, I WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
AND I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU ARE USING THE DATA, YOU USE THE DATA ONCE AND THEN YOU USE SQUARE FOOTAGE OR LINEAR FOOTAGE, OR YET THE FLIP FLOP.
IN NOVEMBER, WHEN I STARTED MANAGING THIS PROGRAM, THERE WERE A LOT OF STREETS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN THROUGHOUT THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS.
SO I MADE SURE THAT ALL THESE STREETS, 'CAUSE I WAS TOLD THESE WERE CHOSEN BY STAFF AND COUNCIL.
I MADE SURE EVERY ONE OF THESE STREETS HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO A PROJECT.
SO ALL THE FUNDING WE HAD WHEN WE STARTED THIS BUDGET YEAR FROM 20.9 MILLION RECONSTRUCTION, 20.9 MILLION RESURFACING TODAY IS ALLOCATED, EITHER IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IT'S BIDDING, OR IT'S WAITING FOR DESIGN.
THE STREETS THAT ARE PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET, THIS COMING BUDGET THAT EVERY STREET CAME FROM, THE DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED THROUGH THAT STUDY.
OKAY? SO I DIRECTED STAFF TO CHOOSE THE STREETS THAT ARE WASHED ON THIS IN EVERY DISTRICT AND GIVE US THOSE NUMBERS.
THE TOTAL COST OF THESE STREETS, AROUND $27 MILLION TO DO THEM ALL.
BUT WE NEED A YEAR FOR DESIGN.
THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT THIS LIST TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT, APPROVE IT IN THE BUDGET.
SO THE DESIGN STARTS OCTOBER, WELL ACTUALLY WE STARTED DESIGNING SOME OF THEM, BUT OCTOBER 1ST WILL TAKE THE FULL LIST THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED, WHETHER IT'S THIS ONE OR YOU NEED TO CHANGE THINGS ON IT OR ADD TO IT.
SO WE CAN HAVE THE DESIGN READY BY OCTOBER 26TH.
SO CONSTRUCTION WILL GO, UH, FORWARD AT THAT TIME.
AND ALL THIS DESIGN IS BEING DONE IN HOUSE.
BUT, BUT THEY'RE BEING SELECTED.
THE SELECTION PROCESS OF WHAT'S IN QUESTION? YES, MA'AM.
IT CAME FROM THE, THE LIST OF STREETS, FROM THE X-RAY.
IT CAME FROM THE STUDY FREIGHT TRUCK HAND.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WAS, I WAS JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE USING THE DATA TO KEEP, MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA'S BEEN, YOU PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THAT, UM, MACHINE TO BE ABLE TO CATEGORIZE FOR US AND HELP US OUT IN MAKING HELP.
AT LEAST THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO COMPILE THEIR LIST AND TO GO FORWARD WITH IT.
'CAUSE THERE WAS NO PLAN IN PLACE FROM 2020 TO 2022 OR 2023 THAT THERE WAS NO PLAN.
PEOPLE WERE JUST PICKING STREETS.
THAT'S ALL I HAD A QUESTION FOR.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR EVERYTHING EVERYBODY'S SAYING.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER MADE A POINT.
THE CITY MANAGER SAYS, YOU GET A DIFFERENT COUNCIL, YOU GET DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND HE SAYS LIKE, BIDEN, WHEN TRUMP COME IN, HE CHANGES.
BUT THAT'S THE SAME WAY WE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE UP HERE.
YOU DON'T COME IN AND JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
[01:50:01]
HE HAD TO DO AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.SO THAT MEAN IF THE COUNCIL COMES IN, THE STAFF IS HERE.
YOU ALL SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW WHAT WAS ADOPTED BECAUSE THAT'S WRITTEN AND ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION.
IF IT WAS WRITTEN, I'LL FOLLOW IT.
BUT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SETS UP HERE AND DECIDE WE AIN'T GOING TO DO IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
YOU CHANGE IT, BUT YOU DON'T CHANGE IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO CHANGE IT.
YOU AMEND IT, YOU RESCIND IT, YOU CHANGE IT.
SO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED.
AND, AND, AND IF YOU HAD CHANGED IT, I WOULDN'T BE SPEAKING ABOUT IT.
I'M GOING TO BE DISCUSSING MONIES.
WE WASN'T, WE WASN'T TRACKING MONIES, BUT GUESS WHAT THE PROGRAM SAID? AND WE SET UP, WE WAS TRACKING MONEY.
SO REALLY WHAT'S WRITTEN WHEN COUNCIL CHANGE DOES NOT CHANGE HOW THIS CITY'S SUPPOSED TO OPERATE.
CHANGE OF COUNCIL DOES NOT CHANGE IT.
SOMEBODY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR NOT FOLLOWING WHAT WE HAVE WRITTEN.
IF THE COUNCIL DOESN'T LIKE IT, THEN THE COUNCIL MUST AMEND, RESCIND A CHANGE.
BUT THIS WILL COUNCIL DO IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
DID ANYBODY GO READ WHAT'S WRITTEN? DON'T BUY.
IT'S, I I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTION.
I WANNA WAIT UNTIL, UNTIL THURSDAY FOR PUBLIC HEARING, UM, ON PAGE 78, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTRACT SERVICE FOR RENT.
CAN SOMEONE FOR CLARIFICATION, SAY WHAT IS RENT IS RENT FOR THE BUILDING IS RENT FOR WHAT? ON CONTRACT SERVICES? 80,000.
THIS IS, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU SAID? YES.
TELL ME WHAT IT'S, WHAT I HAVE LISTED IS ACTUALLY IT'S RENT SLASH LEASE AND THIS IS FOR ENTERPRISE RENTAL CAR.
OUR LEASING OF THE COPIERS FOR THE POLICE AND G-P-S-G-P-S UNITS, THAT'S ALSO ON A LEASE.
SO THOSE HAVE TO BE CATEGORIZED BY GAP RULES BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE.
I HAVE TO PUT A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT GOES TO.
BECAUSE WHEN IT'S IN RENTS, PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE DON'T OWN THE BUILDING, WE RENT THE BUILDING.
IT'S LIKE I SAID, WELL, WE BETTER ASK.
YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT AND I WILL REVISE THIS SO IT HAS RENT SLASH LEASE ON THIS.
I HAVE TOO MANY QUESTIONS, BUT I NOT GONNA HOLD YOU ANYMORE.
QUESTION WITH THE, UH, BUDGET MS. SURFACE? YES.
AND I'LL BE REALLY, REALLY QUICK 'CAUSE I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, UM, MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW.
IN FACT, I CAN GIVE YOU THIS JUST TO TAKE WITH YOU.
UH, THE TOP OF THIS, THE LITTLE SQUARE BOX IS ON PAGE 1 73 FOR THE PLEASURE ISLAND.
[01:55:01]
UM, CAPITAL 1 73, THE, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.AND I WAS JUST QUESTIONING IT.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION AND THAT, THAT'S ALL.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON HERE.
UH, ONE IS THE CLUB, UH, CLUBHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UM, $1.2 MILLION.
AND, UM, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S UP AND RUNNING.
IT'S BEEN RUNNING REALLY WELL AND IT'S IN REALLY GOOD CONDITION.
MY CONCERN IS WE NEED VISITORS BEFORE, POSSIBLY, BEFORE WE START DOING ANY OF THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS A VISITOR CENTER FOR $2 MILLION, AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THAT'S GONNA BE, WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE OR THE PURPOSE OF THE, AND THE NEED FOR THAT.
ON PAGE TWO, I'VE QUICKLY, UH, SHOWN YOU THE PICTURES.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE CONDITION OF THE MARINA AS IT LOOKS TODAY.
IT'S, UH, AND THIS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE YACHT CLUB BUILDING WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEW EVENT CENTER IS TRYING TO, UH, REALLY GROW AND MAYBE HAVE A RESTAURANT, I THINK WOULD BE IDEAL AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KEEP THE PEOPLE HERE.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS, AND I KNOW THIS WOULD BE MILLIONS FROM WHAT ARSON O DID, UH, WHEN HE MENTIONED IT THE OTHER DAY, THE OTHER, AND THIS WILL BRING REVENUE, THE, UH, COVERED BOAT STALLS, UH, WHICH WE NEVER REPLACED WAY BACK WHEN, IF WE COULD HAVE SOME OF THOSE, THAT'S THREE TIMES MORE IN REVENUE THAN A REGULAR BOAT SLIP.
AND AT THE BOTTOM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA LOSE, UH, THAT RV PARK BECAUSE OF THE DEEPENING AND WIDENING FROM THE CORE.
SO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN REWORK THESE, UH, RV PARK SITES SOMEWHERE MAYBE NEAR THE OTHER RV, JUST SO WE DON'T LOSE THESE PEOPLE.
THESE ARE PAYING CUSTOMERS AND, AND IT'S BRINGING IN A LOT OF REVENUE.
CITY MANAGER, THE VISITOR CENTER.
SHE ASKED, UH, WHAT IS THE LOCATION AND, UH, WHAT'S THE PLAN AND SPECIFICATION AND THEME AND DESIGN.
THAT'S 2.9 MILLION THAT WE ALLOCATE.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH IT? I'M ALMOST SURE THAT WE, WE HAVE REMOVED THIS, BUT JUST ATION, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE, WE PLAN THESIS PLANNING AND DESIGN ENGINEERING, THEN CONSTRUCTION.
WE ARE THE PLANNING AND DESIGN FEES.
SO WE DO NOT, WE DO NOT NEED THAT 2 MILLION THERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE THE PLANNING AND DESIGN FEES.
SO JUST MAKE THE NOTE FOR US TO ADJUST THE AMOUNT TO REFLECT THE TRUCTURE TO REFLECT THE PLANNING AND DESIGN FEES.
SO SHE'S GONNA MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT.
THE LAST, THE, THE, THE LAST QUESTION ON, UH, PLEASURE ISLAND.
PLEASURE ISLAND IS IN ENTERPRISE FUND.
PLEASURE ISLAND WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE CHARTER.
WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS COME ABOUT DEALING WITH THAT ISLAND, WHY DON'T COUNCIL GET A BRIEFING BEFORE YOU ALL START TRYING TO DO THESE THINGS? YOU KNOW, I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF THINGS DEALING WITH PLEASURE ISLAND, IT COMES TO US TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE.
WHY DON'T WE DO HAVE PRESENTATION? I SERVED IN COUNCIL A LONG TIME BEFORE, BEFORE WE STARTED ALL THESE SO-CALLED PROPOSITIONS TO, TO GET CONTROL OF THE ISLAND.
BUT THAT ISLAND IS AN ENTERPRISE.
SO WHY DON'T WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT OR SAY YAY OR NAY TO PROJECTS ON THAT ISLAND WHO'S MAKING THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT COMING TO US? WELL, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WHO SITS ON THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO YOU AND INFORM YOU AS WELL AS THEY WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DIRECTOR.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION I'VE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSONS WERE APPOINTED AS PART OF THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CONTINUE TO KEEP THE REPRESENTATIVES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS INFORMED AS TO WHAT THEY DO.
JUST LIKE WE DO IT ON THE EDC BOARD AS TO WHAT THEY DO, WHAT PROJECTS ARE BEING PRESENTED.
AND I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE MY DIRECTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER HE COMES TO ME WITH, YOU KNOW, THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS SOME SORT OF INPUT.
AT LEAST THEY KNOW IT'S COMMUNICATED.
[02:00:01]
THERE IS COLLABORATION AND THERE'S INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.IF THAT IS NOT HAPPENING, I WILL ENSURE AND INSIST THAT IT CONTINUES OR IT WILL HAPPEN.
SO THAT IS ONE WAY OF DOING IT.
ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT IS THROUGH THE BUDGET.
WHEN YOU DEVELOP A BUDGET, WHICH IS, WHICH IS, UM, HOW DO YOU CALL IT? A, A, A PLANNED POLICY.
IT IS BEING PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THOSE THAT ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS IS BEING LISTED IN A FIVE, WITH A FIVE YEAR HORIZON TO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT'S NOT, WHAT ONLY HAPPENING THIS YEAR AS PART OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET, BUT THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
SO WHEN COUNCIL CHANGES AND IF COUNCIL MEMBERS CHANGES, THEY UNDERSTAND AT WHAT STAGE AND PHASE WE ARE EITHER IN THE PLANNING, EXECUTION OR CONSTRUCTION OR CLOSING PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
MY QUESTION WAS BASED ON MY PERSON THAT I'LL POINT OVER THERE SAYING THEY ARE BEING TOLD WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE NO INPUT.
SO IF EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS CORRECT, THEN I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A TALK TO MAKE SURE THAT BEFORE IT COMES TO US, THAT IS ALSO PRESENTED.
AND THEY GOT SOME INPUT TO IT BECAUSE THAT COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE CHARTER TO PLAN AND MATT TO HELP DEVELOP AND MANAGE THAT ISLAND.
NOW WE DONE A LOT OF PROPOSITIONS ABOUT IT, ACTING LIKE A DEPARTMENT IS DOING THIS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEVER SAID NOTHING AND ASK CITIZENS TO TAKE AWAY WHAT THEY WERE ESTABLISHED TO DO AND BE PART OF.
SO THE WAY YOU EXPLAIN IT, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
AND, AND SO YOU NEED TO GET BACK AND ENSURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE BEING DISCUSSED AND THEY HAVE INPUT, AND THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE NO, AND, AND SOMETIME IT'S GOOD CITY MANAGE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL.
'CAUSE WE USED TO DO THIS, OKAY, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST RODEO WITH THIS, BUT WHEN THEY HAD SOMETHING COMING UP THAT THEY WANTED TO DO IN A MAJOR PROJECT, THEY WOULD COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND THEY LET THE COUNCIL KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING JUST FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES AND BEING TRANSPARENT.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CITIZENS ALSO GET THE BENEFIT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST YES AND NO WHEN WE GET READY TO VOTE IS NOT TRANSPARENT.
I'M, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS, IF YOU REMEMBER COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM BROUGHT THAT UP SOMETIME AGO.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE INCONSISTENCY THAT, UH, CONTINUE TO EXIST WITH THE, UM, CHANGES THAT WILL MADE TO PLEASURE ISLAND AS WE CONTINUE TO CALL IT AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN THE CHARTER, IT IS STILL REFERRED TO AS THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMISSION.
SO WE NEED TO, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M WORKING, WHEN THE CITY ATTORNEY RETURNS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANOMALY, WHICH CONTINUES TO EXIST, WE GET RID OF IT.
SO THAT THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMITTEE, THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, GIVEN THE ROLE THAT IT HAS TO PLAY FUNCTIONS IN THAT ROLE AS A REAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BUT THE LIMITATIONS THAT EXIST IN THE CHARTER DOES NOT ALLOW IT TO DO THAT AT THIS POINT.
BUT THEY'RE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD.
BUT THE LANGUAGE THAT EXISTS IN THE CHAPTER, THE LANGUAGE IN THE, WAS NOT CLEAR.
AND IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP.
COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING BYPASSED.
SO WHAT COUNCILMAN DO MAYOR PRO DO SAYS SAY, BEFORE YOU BRING SOMETHING TO US, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE ADVISORY BOARD IS UP TO SPEED.
WE WILL, BECAUSE THEN THEY'VE BEEN COMPLAINING.
I WOULD ASK HIM SOMETHING AND HE SAID, MAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I TOTALLY, YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE.
PRIOR TO US, WE'RE ABOUT TO, UM, ADJOURN OUR WORKSHOP.
THANK YOU STAFF AND ALL OF YOU'LL SIT HERE SO PATIENTLY WITH US AND OUR QUESTIONING.
WE KNOW THAT YOUR, THAT'S YOUR JOB.
BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND YOUR WORK.
UM, TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A MAYOR'S, UH, 90 DAY PROGRESS MEETING AND I INVITE EACH OF YOU TO COME OUT.
YOU CAN, UH, JOIN US AT FIVE 30.
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR APPROACH HIM.
I INVITE YOU PERSONALLY TO ATTEND.
WE DID POST FOR A POSSIBLE QUORUM AND UH, WE WILL HAVE SOME FOOD THERE AS WELL.
[02:05:01]
AND STAFF.UH, AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ANY NOS? THE AYES HAVE IT AND WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 1241.